Band Of Gold
by TStabler
Summary: When it goes on it becomes a symbol of love and loyalty, a promise of forever. But, sometimes, it's the beginning of something else entirely when the gold band comes OFF. E/O Set in the beginning of their second year, and a bit AU, kids-wise.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: A new one. Yep. Sometimes relationships start from the end and work backwards. What happens if you propose before you're even sure you're in love?**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters belong to Dick Wolf. Story, dialogue, narrative and plot belong to TStabler©**

"You're not gonna tell me what happened with you and Cassidy, are you?" Elliot asked, handing Olivia a cup of coffee from the cart outside the station house.

Olivia smirked as she gratefully took the cup and sipped. "You're not gonna tell me why you've been sleeping on my couch for the past two days," she said with a shrug.

Elliot chuckled. "Point taken," he said. He watched Olivia turn for the steps and he stopped her. "Liv, can we wait? Just for a second?"

Olivia nodded. She knew why he asked. They both cherished these moments when they got to be Olivia and Elliot. Liv and El. When they walked through those doors, they would be Benson and Stabler, and they'd probably end up hating each other for a few hours. She stepped back down to him and tilted her head. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours," she said, nudging him in the arm.

Elliot chuckled and sighed. "Kathy, she, uh, she thinks I spend too much time with you."

"You do," Olivia laughed, sipping her coffee.

"True," Elliot said with a chuckle, "But she thinks I would rather be with you than her, so she told me to get out until I missed her enough to come home," he explained. He didn't tell her that Kathy was right, though.

Olivia sipped and shrugged. "There's only so many times you can tell her that we're only working, El. If she doesn't believe you then maybe..."

"Okay," he interrupted, eager to change the subject, "I showed you mine." He winked at her and tossed his now-empty cup in the trashcan.

Olivia smirked and shook her head. "Ass," she quipped. "He wanted more out of it than I did."

"And what exactly did he want out of it?" Elliot asked, sounding like a jealous boyfriend.

"He wanted a relationship," Olivia said, "I wanted one night. One drunken, mistake-filled night."

Elliot absentmindedly set his hand on her left hip. "You got what you wanted, right?"

Olivia rolled her eyes, smirking, and said, "Yeah. I got it." She tossed her cup and then added, "And it was actually really bad."

"I doubt that, Liv. He left because of you," Elliot said "It couldn't have been bad if he couldn't even stand to be in the same department as you anymore when he realized he wasn't gonna get it again."

"Oh, it wasn't bad for him," she said, "I did my job, El. He just, uh, didn't do his."

Elliot smirked and narrowed his eyes. "Oh, I'll bet you did your job," he said. "Very well."

She shot him a smoldering look, raised her eyebrow, and then turned to walk into the precinct. Elliot swallowed hard as he followed Olivia into the building. What was he doing? He wasn't supposed to be thinking about having sex with Olivia, she was his partner, and he was married. He shook his head, hoping to shake those dirty thoughts out of it, too, as they made their way through the doors.

"Benson, Stabler," Cragen, their captain, called to them as they walked into the bullpen. "This is Detective Odafin Tutuola. He's taking Jeffries' spot. He'll be working with Munch."

"Hi," Elliot said, holding out his hand. "I'm Elliot."

"Yeah," the new detective said. "I've heard all about you, Stabler. You can call me Fin. And you must be Olivia Benson." He held out his hand to her.

"I must be," Olivia said, shaking his hand. "Hey, Cap, then who's replacing Cassidy?"

Cragen shook his head. "No one. We're holding down the fort with four of you from now on. Budget cuts. You two, now that you're here, have a DB on Forty-Fifth. Looks like a rape-homicide. Take Fin with you and show him the ropes." With that, the captain walked back into his office and slammed the door.

"Is he always like that?" Fin asked, looking at Olivia and gesturing to Cragen's closed door.

"No," Olivia said, shaking her head. "Sometimes he's in a bad mood." She winked at Fin, making him blush a little, then tugged on Elliot's sleeve, leading the boys back out of the squadroom.

* * *

"What's it look like, Liv?" Elliot asked, standing behind her as she knelt next to the body.

Olivia ran a gloved hand over a few wounds, looked over at Melinda Warner, the Medical Examiner, and smirked. She winked at her, then looked up at Elliot. "It looks like a dead girl, El."

"Ha, ha, ha. You're a real comedian," he said, sarcastically. "Anything else, Jeanine Garofalo?"

Olivia chuckled. "Yeah, by the cuts and stab wounds all over her body, I'd say she was killed with a BFK."

Fin tilted his head. "BFK?"

"Big fucking knife," Elliot and Olivia said, together. They looked at each other and laughed.

"Okay," Fin said. "You two have some kind of creepy, sixth-sense thing going on, don't ya? What, are you two, like, a thing?"

"A thing?" Olivia asked, scoffing. "In his dreams," she joked.

Elliot let out a hearty laugh. "_My_ dreams? Please, you know you want me, Liv." He straightened his tie and gave her a cocky grin.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "He's married," Olivia said to Fin. "And my standards are way too high."

"Standards? Uh, two words. Brian Cassidy," Elliot said, folding his arms.

Olivia, not missing a beat, threw back, "Unless I'm drunk, in which case, I apparently have no standards at all."

Fin laughed, hard, and shook his head. "Are you two always like this?"

"No," Elliot said. But at the same time, Olivia nodded and said, "Yes." They looked at each other, then Olivia said "No," while Elliot replied, "Yes."

"Well, which is it?" Fin asked, still chuckling.

Olivia and Elliot laughed and shrugged. Melinda popped her head up and said, "I've got fluids here. Enough for a good, solid, sample. Hopefully, the bastard's in the system. I'll run this as soon as I get back to the lab. And, Detective Tutuola, the answer is yes, they are always like this. Mark my words. One day, they'll end up married." She smiled at Olivia and Elliot, then signaled for her assistants to bag the body.

"Yeah, Mel," Olivia said. "Someday, when they pass out popsicles in hell, and when unicorns come walking over the rainbow followed by that herd of cattle finally coming home."

Elliot hummed in agreement. "When pigs fly. When the fat lady sings. When worms have ears," he listed, dryly. "Right, Liv?"

"So, like, tomorrow?" Melinda asked with a smile.

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Actually, we eloped. It's only legal in Uzbekistan." She increased the volume of her voice and emphasized, "Since he's already married!"

Melinda lowered her voice and got serious, leaning closer to her. "For how much longer, Olivia? You and I both know his marriage is on its last legs. You and I both know that he loves you just as much as you love him, you're both too afraid to admit it. And you and I both know that when you, Olivia Benson, want something, you just take it."

"Mel," Olivia said, taken aback. "What are you..."

"I'm tired of watching you suffer in silence, Olivia. Take the bull by the horns! Or in this case, take the Stabler by the pants, and take control of your life. Don't just sit back and watch him go back to Kathy this time. Make a move and make yourself happy," Melinda encouraged. She nodded briskly, once, then walked toward the van to take the vic back to the lab.

Olivia pressed her lips together and turned her head toward Elliot. He was engrossed in a conversation with Fin, and he looked so damn hot in that suit. Maybe Melinda was right. Maybe it was time to make a move. Maybe it was time to tell him. Her heart thudded at the very thought and then she decided, maybe Melinda had simply been out in the sun too long.

* * *

"So, did Benson and Stabler demonstrate their impeccable crime scene skills?" Munch asked Fin as the three of them strode back into the sqaudroom.

Fin nodded. "Are we gonna be that good?"

"Probably not," Munch said, honestly.

"Are we gonna bicker and banter that much?" Fin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Again," Munch said, gesticulating, "Probably not. Those two have a very powerful thing going on. They're like Batman and..."

Fin finished, "Robin."

Munch shook his head. "No, see, Robin was a sidekick. Benson and Stabler are like Batman and Batwoman. Equals, they compliment each other, and they are practically the same person, only one's got boobs and looks better in a bikini."

"You've never seen either one of us in a bikini," Olivia said, folding her arms and raising an eyebrow. "How could you make that judgment?"

"Oh," Munch said, smirking. "I have, too. In my mind, and trust me, Benson. You win that war."

Elliot narrowed his eyes. "I hereby revoke your right to imagine Liv in anything remotely resembling under...ya know what? You are not allowed to picture her in anything less than a three-piece suit. No, a snowsuit! In your mind, Munch, Liv is a fucking Eskimo," he spat.

"Uh, sure, Stabler," Munch said, a little skeptical. "And in your mind, she's wearing what exactly?"

Elliot stopped talking. He stopped moving. He simply looked down and plopped behind his desk, immediately picking up a file and asked, "Where's Warner with the DNA results?"

"That's what I thought," Munch said, chuckling.

Olivia just looked at the both of them and shook her head. "I would actually appreciate it if neither one of you would think about me, at all, at least, not now that I know you do," she said with a shiver. "A bikini? Munch, really?"

"You do realize you're the only woman, besides Jeffries, that has worked in this unit in years, don't you?" Munch asked, peering over his sunglasses. There were a few laughs as the group settled into their desks to get started on the paperwork that had piled up while they waited for Warner's reports.

* * *

"What a day, huh?" Elliot said, settling into Olivia's couch. He had a cold beer in one hand an egg roll in the other.

Olivia nodded as she sipped her beer. "Yeah," she said.

Elliot looked over at her, and he smiled. She looked so beautiful when she relaxed like that. Her hair was down in loose waves, her work attire had been replaced by sweats and a tank top and she was completely at ease. She wasn't 'Benson'. She was 'Liv'. He needed to tell her, now, if he was ever going to get to sleep tonight. "Hey, uh, what I said to Munch, I didn't mean..."

"I know, El. You were just being protective, like always," she interrupted, biting into her egg roll.

"Well, yeah, but it was also...I don't know why, but I felt jealous," he admitted.

"Jealous?" Olivia asked. "Of Munch? Are you serious?"

Elliot nodded, chomping into his spare ribs. "I was jealous of Cassidy, too. And every other guy you've dated. I know I don't have any right to be, but...I just thought you should know. That's why I always act the way I do. That's why I get so, uh..."

"Bitchy," Olivia said, seriously.

"Yeah," Elliot laughed. "We'll call it bitchy. I get bitchy when you're with...even when you talk about other guys. By the way, why, when Mel said it this morning, was it so hard to imagine us getting married? Do you really think being married to me would be that horrible?"

Olivia's eyes widened. She wasn't expecting that. "El, in case you've forgotten, you're already married. I never said it would be awful, I just said it would be impossible."

"So, say it was possible, Liv. Just, hypothetically, for shits and giggles. If I was single, and I asked you to marry me, what would you say?" Elliot asked, looking at her.

"I'd say you'd have to at least buy me dinner first," she said, joking, with a laugh.

Elliot chuckled and shook his head. "Hey, I bought you dinner tonight. Stop deflecting, Livvy. I'm being serious." He turned his body and put his food down. He cupped her face and held it steady, looking into her eyes. "Pretend I'm not married to Kathy. What would you say if the next words out of my mouth were, 'Olivia Benson, will you marry me?'"

Her heart stopped. She couldn't breathe. Something in his eyes, and in his voice, made that question seem incredibly real to her. "Uh, wh-what would, um," she stuttered. Then finally she blinked and looked into his blue eyes. "Yes," she said.

Elliot smiled. He trailed his fingers softly down her cheeks and chuckled lightly. "Really, just like that?" he asked.

"Yeah," Olivia said, still in a state of shock. "But, that was just hypothetical. You _are_ married to Kathy. You're _not_ single. You did _not_ just ask me to marry you. Right?"

"Yeah. Right," Elliot said, dismissively. He picked up his food and turned back to the television, and, when Olivia wasn't looking, he slipped the gold band off of his finger and tossed it across the room, into his open duffle bag.

But, Olivia _was_ looking. She was looking and she was shocked. She had never seen a bigger smile on his face, and she knew that if he looked at her right now, he'd be able to say the same thing about the one slowly pulling at her own lips.

**A/N: Say what? Continue? Shall I?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Another night on her couch, a morning off, a new case, and a surprise when they get home at different times.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and narrative belong to TStabler©**

"Stabler," Olivia yelled at him, rushing through her apartment. "Just because you get to come in three hours later for some stupid reason you won't tell me about, don't think I'm letting you sleep. Get the hell up." She threw her pillow at him.

He caught it and smiled. It landed on his face and he breathed in, so deep, loving the way her lavender-vanilla-Olivia scent filled his lungs. "Very rude," he garbled.

"Try that again, without the pillow half way down your throat," she suggested, standing in front of the couch, putting an earring in.

He removed the pillow from his face and his smile got bigger. His eyes lit up. She was absolutely beautiful. The suits she wore to work hugged her curves while giving her enough space to run after a perp if she had to, and without the jacket on, her white, button-down shirt was so sexy. "I said, that hitting me with your pillow was very rude," he said, trying to seem like he wasn't imagining ripping the clothes she'd just put on off of her body in a violent and possessive manner.

"I'm a rude woman, El," she said with a wink. "Get up." She kicked him lightly in the leg with her stockinged foot and said, "I feel much better knowing that if my ass is awake at six, yours is, too. What the hell do you have to do this morning?" She slipped on her shoes and turned back to him, waiting for an answer.

"Uh," Elliot hesitated. He'd tell her, but he didn't think telling her as she was slipping her gun onto her hip-holster was a good idea. "I have to go talk to someone, and I have a few errands to run."

"Talking? Errands? You're making me run the case by myself, with a rookie, for three fucking hours, because you have to have a conversation and go shopping?" She didn't sound happy.

Elliot chuckled. "Something like that," he said, finally getting off the couch. "Hey, Livvy, can we, uh, maybe try sleeping, platonically of course, in the bed together? Your couch is killing me. I can't feel my legs, and every muscle in my neck and back is on fire." He rolled his neck and leaned back, and Olivia heard horrible cracking sounds. He groaned in pain.

Olivia cringed and flinched. "Uh, yeah, whatever, sure," she said nodding. "Do what you have to do, fast, and get to work." She sighed, looked into his eyes, and said, "I don't really like being there without you."

Elliot smiled at her, walked over to her, and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll be there soon, Livvy. Have a good morning."

Stunned, because he'd just kissed her, she simply nodded, grabbed her keys, and walked out.

Elliot ran a hand down his face and plodded into the bathroom. He only had three hours, he had to move fast.

* * *

"No," Olivia said, looking at the packed squadroom. "He's armed and probably very dangerous. No one, I repeat, no one approaches him without backup. Especially, if he has the boy with him."

Cragen held up a photo and waved it around to everyone. "This boy is only four years old. He's very afraid, and very confused, and he's in a lot of danger. As long as Reynolds doesn't know we're after him, the boy's safe. Stay low, stay covert, and stay on him." He passed out files with the make, model and license plate of the suspects car and each cop and detective went off in search for their perp. "Munch, Fin, you're in the blue sedan." Cragen threw keys at them.

"Man," Munch said. "Why do we always get the blue one?"

Fin raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with the blue one?"

"It sounds like an angry, growling bear, it smells like New York sewage and it's not the red Chevy. Why don't we get the red Chevy?" Munch whined.

Cragen smirked. "Lead detectives get the newer, better car, Munch."

Elliot walked in just as Fin and Munch were running out and as soon as he was within view, Olivia tossed the keys to the Chevy at him. "What the hell?" he asked, catching them as they were two inches from the ground.

"Nice catch, but you're no Jorge Posada," Olivia quipped, pulling on her jacket.

"I wasn't expecting you to throw keys at my head!" he said with a laugh. "Where are we going?" he asked, handing her a cup of cart-bought coffee.

Olivia smiled at the sight as she took the cup. "Oh, thank you. We're looking for a child-molesting kidnapper. I'll explain in the car."

"Well, why do I have to drive?" he asked, following her out of the bullpen.

"You had the morning off," Olivia said, sipping her coffee. "I'm making you do the heavy lifting." Elliot chuckled and rolled his eyes. If she only knew how much heavy lifting he'd already done.

* * *

Fin and Munch walked in eight hours later, tired and annoyed. Munch threw the keys to the blue sedan down on his desk and barreled over to the coffee table. "Want a cup?" he asked Fin.

Fin nodded. "Yeah, if you..."

"Don't do it," Cragen said, coming out of his office. "That stuff will dissolve your stomach lining."

"Oh...kay," Fin said.

Munch sighed. "It's all we've got."

"No, it's not. There's coffee, donuts, sandwiches and pizza in teh conference room. Why do you two look like shit?" Cragen asked, folding his arms.

"We were out there for hours, Cap," Fin said, shaking his head. "This guy is either no longer in New York or he's fuckin' invisible."

Just then, they heard a scuffle in the hallway and Elliot's distinctive yelling. "I'm sorry, what did you just say to her? I thought you only liked little kids!" Elliot shouted, pushing the cuffed, bleeding man into the squadroom. He threw the man into the arms of three wating uniformed officers, who immediately got him settled in the interrogation room.

Olivia cam in, too, holding the small boy over her shoulder. She was shushing him, and brushing his hair back, saying, "It's okay, sweetie. I've got you. You're safe now." She looked up at Cragen, who was in shock, and mouthed, "Where's his mother?"

Cragen shook his head, shrugged, and walked into his office to make the call.

"Where the hell did you find him?" Munch asked, walking over. "And why does he have a split lip?"

"Well," Elliot said, "He's got a split lip because I punched him after he came at me and Liv with a knife, Munch. We found him at Penn Station. It was Liv's idea to call the transit authority and we got a call from Greyhound, saying they were trying to buy two tickets with a stolen credit card."

Fin shook his head in disbelief. "You two, I mean, I've only been here two days and already I can tell you make everyone else look bad," he said.

"Yeah," Munch said. "It's been like that for the last year. Before Benson, Stabler was pretty useless."

"Hey!" Elliot shouted, offended.

"Well," Munch said, throwing his hands up, "You're old partner took the lead on everything, wouldn't let you help, that's why he got shot. He wasn't a team player. You two just, uh, click."

Elliot looked at Olivia, his heart melting at the sight of her holding the now-sleeping four-year-old, and he smiled. "Yeah," he said. "We certainly do." He winked at Olivia.

She winked back, smiling, rocking the sleeping child in her arms. She wasn't sure when, how, or why it happened, but she fell for Elliot, fast and hard. She scanned his amazing body as he stood before her in his suit and when her eyes focused on his hands, resting on his hips, she noticed it. He still hadn't put his ring back on. She closed her eyes and sighed, unsure of what that even meant, and when she did, she saw the look in his eyes as her asked her, hypothetically, to marry her. She heard the emotion in his voice. Then she heard Cragen yelling at her. Wait. What? "What?" she asked, stunned as her eyes popped open.

"I said, his mother's on her way, but she's coming from Jersey, it could take a while. I need you to stay with him," Cragen said. He turned to Elliot and waved a hand. "You. Go home. Good work tonight, both of you. Fin and Munch will handle the interrogation. It's time for Tutuola to get his feet wet." He patted Elliot on his shoulder and jerked his head toward the pit, sending Fin and Munch into the room.

Elliot looked at Olivia, tilted his head, and sighed. He glanced at Cragen and said, "I'll see ya later, Liv," with another wink.

"Later, El," she replied. She watched him leave, then leaned back in her chair, waiting for the boy's mother to come pick him up.

* * *

She turned the key about an hour later, and pushed the door open. Something was blocking it and she was having a hard time. "El," she yelled. "What the fuck is in front of the door?" she asked, pushing harder. She finally heaved it open and almost tripped over several small boxes. "Ow, damn it! What the hell?" She looked around and her eyes widened. "Stabler?" she called, since he wasn't in the living room.

There were boxes littering the living room. There was a new couch, one she recognized as his, and a new coffee table. "Elliot!" she yelled again. She heard a grunting noise coming from the bedroom and she ran in, her eyes widening with a gasp. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Trying to get the mattress on the bed," he said, flopping the new mattress onto the boxspring. "Do you like it?"

"Where's my bed, El?" Olivia asked, staring at the new queen-sized cherry bed that stood in its place.

Elliot, out of breath, answered. "In storage. It wasn't going to be big enough for the both of us. Not the way we both roll around."

"And all that shit in those boxes is, what, exactly?" she asked, folding her arms.

"Oh, uh, that's my stuff. And stuff that I paid for before I got married. I brought the leather couch over to replace that crappy green thing you called a sofa," he told her. "My back still hurts."

Olivia narrowed her eyes and smirked a tiny bit. "What exactly are you doing, Stabler?"

"Isn't it obvious, Livvy?" he asked, wearing a shit-eating grin. "I'm moving in." He reached into a bag and pulled out a new package of sheets. "Help me make the bed," he demanded, tossing one end of the fitted sheet to her. He saw the exasperated expression on her face and then added, "Please."

She chuckled and helped him put the sheet on the bed. "Hey, why exactly did you start calling me, uh, 'Livvy'?"

"Well, everyone knows I call you Liv, right? I wanted a name that I could use when it's just us. So you'd know when I was being completely personal with you," he said, tossing her the end of a brand new comforter. "You, uh, don't mind, do you?"

Olivia smiled at him, shook her head, and flattened out the quilt. "No."

Elliot walked over to her and took her hands in his. "Good," he said. "And if I, uh, kissed you right now, would you mind?"

Olivia laughed and rolled her eyes. "What's with you and your damn hypothetical questions?"

"Just answer it," he said, laughing.

"No, El. I wouldn't mind. But, it's hypo..." she was cut off when he gently pressed his lips to hers. There was no tongue, no fierceness, just pure, sweet, emotion.

Elliot pulled away and caressed her hands that were still held tightly in his. "No, it wasn't, Livvy." He smiled at her and dropped her hands. "I'm gonna take a shower. Then, we can see how comfortable this new bed is." He winked at her and padded into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Olivia sat on the bed, limply, and her hand shot to her mouth, Her lips tingled and her smile was effortless. She was confused though. She didn't know what the hell was going on, all she knew was, if this was his way of starting a relationship, Elliot was working backwards. And if her calculations were correct, there was only one obvious next step, and she wasn't quite sure how nonchalant they could be about that.

**A/N: What's the next step? Who did Elliot talk to? Will they ever talk about what's going on with them, or will things just keep happening? Want more?**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sharing a bed leads to another new change in their relationship. So does an elevator conversation.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and narrative belong to TStabler©**

At two in the morning, the time Olivia usually woke up due to anxiousness, her eyes shot open and she felt different. Not physically or emotionally different, no, but something was different. Ah, yes. There were two strong, powerful arms wrapped around her that hadn't been there when she and Elliot got into the bed. She rolled over and sighed. She had no idea what was going on, or what he was thinking. They weren't a couple. Sure, she loved him, but they were just partners. Or, they had been up until two days ago. He was married, wasn't he? Taking off the ring didn't really mean anything, did it? He'd put it back on eventually.

"El," she said, nudging him. "Elliot, uh, I'm not Kathy." She shoved him lightly and raised her eyebrow when all she got in return was a chuckle and a squeeze.

"And I'm not an idiot, Livvy," he mumbled. "Go back to sleep."

Olivia sighed. "What's going on with you lately," she asked, clearly wide awake now, and not in the mood to put this off any longer. "What exactly are you doing?"

One of Elliot's eyes opened and he looked into only one of hers as his head rested on the new pillows he bought. "I'm going after something I've wanted for a year. A year and three months, to be exact. I'm taking control of my life, and," he said, closing his eye, "I'm going back to sleep."

"And you didn't think that asking me about any of this was a good idea?" she asked, sounding slightly annoyed with a hint of humor and playfulness in her voice. "Just move all your shit into my apartment and hold me close without my consent? I can arrest you for one of those things, I think." She nudged him and chuckled to let him know she was kidding. Partly.

Elliot chuckled, sighed, admitting defeat, and opened both of his eyes. "Livvy, for the last year, since you walked into the unit, we've been dancing around this undeniable attraction. Avoiding it, ignoring it, forgetting it exists, and it's been killing me. True, I didn't consult you about any of this, but I honestly didn't think I had to because everything I've been giving you, you've been giving back to me, so I thought..." he paused, sighed again, and looked into her eyes. "I thought you'd fallen in love with me, just as much as I'd fallen in love with you." He propped himself up on his elbow, still looking at her, with one arm still around her waist, stroking her toned stomach gently. "Was I wrong?"

He loved her. He was in love with her. Is that what he just said? Her heart sped up and she felt like jumping for joy. "No," Olivia said, shaking her head and smiling. "I just didn't think I was making it so damn obvious."

Elliot laughed. "Oh, you weren't, trust me. You're a hard woman to read, Livvy. I had to search your eyes after everything I said, and analyze every move you made, and let's not talk about how my heart stopped every time we fought. I prayed, every night, that I didn't piss you enough to make you really hate me." He dropped his head back down to the pillow and said, "I don't really know what's going on with us, Livvy, but I like it." He pulled her closer and snuggled up with her. He let his lips brush across the skin of her neck and they both felt a light shock.

"So do I, El," she said, her eyes drifting shut as she settled into his arms. "So do I."

* * *

The alarm blared at five in the morning, both Olivia and Elliot shot an arm out and started whapping the clock. Olivia looked at Elliot, who was looking right back at her, and they laughed. "I know," Olivia said, rolling her eyes and laughing. "We share a brain."

"And a bed," Elliot said, grinning.

Olivia rolled her head and yawned. "Ya know, you brought your couch over. You could always..."

"No," he said with a smirk. "Livvy, it hurt to even sit on that damn thing you had in there. Trust me, you'll thank me. As for the sleeping, I definitely prefer the bed." He rolled down the comforter and got up, padding into the bathroom. Before he walked in, he said, over his shoulder, "With you." He winked at her and shut the door.

She shook her head, still trying to process what this meant for them, and walked into her closet. She chose a plum-colored suit, with a black button down shirt, and waited for him to come out of the bathroom so she could step in. She thought about how perfect it had felt to be in his arms and how sorry she was when he had to let her go. She heard the water turn off and her mouth ran dry. Her eyes slid shut and she knew, she saw it in her mind, that he was now in the bathroom, stark naked. He was using one of her towels to dry himself off, and he'd be coming out, wrapped in that towel any minute. Her eyes snapped open when she heard the bathroom door do the same, and she wooshed passed him, avoiding his incredible, towel-clad body. She slammed the door shut and caught her breath, then stepped into the shower, making it slightly cooler than normal. She needed it.

"That's a good color on you," Elliot said, smiling at Olivia as she stepped out of the bedroom, fully dressed. "It brings out all of the browns and golds in your eyes."

Olivia smirked at him and maybe she blushed a bit, but her makeup hid it well. "Let's move, Stabler. You don't get three hours of lollygagging today."

"No breakfast?" he asked, eating a piece of toast.

She took the toast from him, bit it, and handed it back to him. "There, Dad," she said, her mouth full. "I ate breakfast."

He chuckled and followed her out. She turned to him and said, "You're wearing that shirt I like."

"I know," he said, swallowing his last bit of bread. "I'm also wearing the tie you bought me for Christmas," he said, pulling on the black and dark blue silk.

Olivia laughed. "I noticed. You don't have to wear it just because you live here now."

"I wear it because I love it, and it goes with the shirt," Elliot said, getting into the car.

"I bought it for you because it goes with that shirt," Olivia said as she climbed into the passenger seat.

Elliot furrowed his brow and looked at her funny. "We really do sound like a married couple, you know."

"Shut up and drive, Stabler," Olivia said, laughing.

Elliot pulled into his spot at the precinct ten minutes later, and immediately ran toward the cart, waving at the coffee man. "Hey, Vinnie. Two. The usual."

"El," Olivia said, striding up next to him. "You bought me two yesterday. I got this one," she said, pulling a five-dollar bill out of her pocket.

Elliot looked at her with a raised eyebrow and put his hand over hers. "No, honey, I'm getting the coffee. You can get lunch."

"El, sweetie, you bought us a new bed and redecorated the apartment," she said. "I can buy you a damn coffee." Olivia jutted her five-dollars at the man behind the cart.

"Baby, I only did all of that to soften the blow of me moving in," he said, thrusting his own cash at Vinnie. "But you didn't exaclty blow up at me, so I can pay for the cofee."

Olivia huffed and pulled his hand back, sticking hers forward. "I'm buying this coffee, Stabler," she spat.

Vinnie whistled at them, and when they stopped arguing and looked up he handed them the coffee. "You two buy, like, eighty of these a week. These two are on me. And, please, invite me to the wedding."

Olivia and Elliot looked at him, each raising an eyebrow. "Wedding?" Olivia asked.

Vinnie scoffed. "Uh, I have ears. What was all the honey? Sweetie? Baby? New bed? Unless you two are a very contemporary couple..."

"Oh, wow," Elliot said, chuckling. "We didn't! Did we?"

Olivia was laughing, too. "I think we did." She looked at Vinnie and shook her head. "We, um, we aren't getting married, Vin. We aren't even..."

"Sure what kind of engagement ring she wants, yet," Elliot butted in, winking at Vinnie. "Thanks for the coffee, Vinnie. We'll see you, eleven forty-five. I'll pay you, then, I swear," he laughed. He grabbed Olivia's waist and prodded her up the steps.

"Why did you do that?" Olivia asked him, sipping her coffee.

Elliot pulled the door open and shrugged. "Do what?" he asked.

"You let Vinnie think we're getting engaged!" she spat with an amused expression. "I know he's just the coffee guy, but, El, that's a little bit beyond what's really going on here."

"No, it's not. I asked, and you said 'yes,' so I didn't lie," Elliot said with a smug grin, sipping his own coffee.

Olivia's mouth dropped and she scoffed. "That was hypothetical!"

"So we're hypothetically engaged," Elliot said, pushing the call button for the elevator.

"Who's engaged?"

Olivia and Elliot turned to see Trevor Langan, attorney, standing behind them. "Oh, uh, no one," Elliot said with a chuckle. "What are you doing here, Langan?"

"On my way up to sit in on an interrogation, which I assume you two will be leading. Oh, Olivia, I'll pick you up at seven if I get out of..."

Olivia cut him off. "That's tonight?" she asked, sounding shocked, almost horrified.

Elliot's eyes widened and his chest puffed out, as if he would attack Trevor in a second. "What's tonight?" he asked, annoyed.

"The New York Bar Association's Manhattan awards gala. I asked Olivia to go with me, about a week ago, and she has clearly forgotten," Trevor said with a smirk and a sigh.

Olivia looked down and around nervously, her mouth still hanging open. "Oh, God, Trevor, I am so..."

"She's seeing someone, Langan," Elliot said, nonchalantly, sipping his coffee.

"Oh," Trevor said, slightly surprised, "Really?" He looked at Olivia. "That's fantastic!"

Olivia looked back up, sheepishly. "Uh, yeah. It kind of, um, happened really fast. Only a few days ago, and it's been, kind of, uh, whirlwindy, if that's a real word."

Trevor laughed. "Well, I'm sure I can talk to him. Benson, you know I didn't ask you to this thing because I'm interested in you. I asked you because I know I would have fun with you, you're a great conversationalist, you'll make me look good, and we both know I can't take who I'd really want to take. For quite a few reasons. Tell ya what, if I can get another ticket, why don't you tell him to meet us there? You'd still, technically, be my date, but you could be with him, too."

Olivia raised an eyebrow and sipped her coffee. "Really? You wouldn't mind?"

"Not at all, Olivia. We both know you're not really my type, anyway," Trevor said. He and Olivia shared a laugh.

The elevator finally opened and the three of them stepped into it. Elliot, now confused and a bit ticked off, asked, "And why isn't she your type? She's gorgeous, smart, funny, a brilliant detective..."

"A woman," Trevor said, adding to the list.

Elliot raised an eyebrow and Olivia and Trevor chuckled. "You wanna tell him?" Trevor asked, nudging Olivia. "He's your partner."

"El," Olivia said, leaning in close. "Trevor's gay."

Elliot spit his coffee out and almost choked, and Olivia patted his back and tried not to laugh. "What?" he asked, wide-eyed.

Trevor laughed and shook his head. "You really didn't know? Olivia never told you?"

"No," Elliot said, trying to catch his breath. "You two spent a lot of time together, I always thought you, uh, wanted her. That's why I hated you. Well, besides the fact that I think you're an awful human being."

"You spent all that time getting jealous over me and a gay man, El," Olivia quipped, rubbing his back. "Feel better?"

Elliot took a breath and nodded. "Go to the thing, babe. Have fun," he said.

Trevor blinked and smirked. "Wait," he said. "The guy she's seeing...is you?" he almost sounded heartbroken. He heaved a sigh, shook his head and looked at Olivia, who smirked at him. "It's about damn time," he said to her. "I'll get you a ticket, Stabler."

"Thanks," Elliot said, "Oh, and tell McCoy that I appreciated him seeing me on such short notice yesterday."

"I will," Trevor said, stepping off of the elevator as soon as the doors opened. "I'll see you two in interrogation."

Elliot and Olivia nodded to him, stepping out into the hall, then he turned to Olivia. "Well, that was unexpected."

"You talked to Jack McCoy? Why?" Olivia asked, sipping her coffee and changing the subject.

Elliot brushed her hair back, figuring he'd make the most of their last few minutes of privacy. "Who better to handle my divorce than the District Attorney?" he asked, smiling softly at her. He saw the surprised look on her face and chuckled. "Yeah, Livvy, the ring is really, permanently off. Hey, if you don't mind me asking, who did Trevor really wanna take tonight?"

Olivia took the coffee out of Elliot's hands, leaned in, kissed him quickly, and said, "You. But he knows you're not gay, and he knows I'd kick his ass. Now, put on your 'I'm-not-in-love-with-my-partner-face' and let's get to work." She handed him back his coffee with a wink and walked away.

Elliot watched her go into the bullpen, and he smirked, shaking his head. "That's my girl," he said to himself, following her in, knowing that he was right. She was his girl. Or, at least, she would be by tonight.

**A/N: I had to make it impossible for Trevor to screw with them this time. =) Review for more!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: She can't run, even if she wants to. He lives in her apartment. Ah, the joys of working backwards.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and narrative belong to TStabler©**

"Wow," Elliot said, walking into the ballroom and striding up next to Olivia. "You look phenomenal."

Olivia smiled and leaned over to kiss his cheek, although Trevor's arm was wrapped securely around her waist. "Thank you," she said. "Can't really wear a dress and heels to work, can I? You don't get to see this side of me very often."

"I do now," he said, winking at her. "Hey, uh, Langan, watch the hands, man." He nodded at Trevor's arm.

Trevor chuckled. "Stabler, really?" He let go of Olivia and gave her a little shove. "All yours, pal, unless I need to be photographed with my date. I'm not exactly out of the closet at work, so Olivia's my cover."

Elliot looked at Olivia, his brow furrowed. "So, wait, this isn't a date but you have to act like it is, if anyone asks, because he's…"

"Yeah," Trevor said, sighing. "But, I promise, I'm not gonna kiss her. I really have no desire to kiss her. And God knows she'll hit me if I try."

Olivia laughed. "I've done it before," she said, tilting her head.

"Pardon me?" Elliot said, sounding like a dog about to bite the mailman.

Trevor rolled his eyes. "Way to throw me under the bus, there, Olivia."

"I try," Olivia said, chuckling. "We should go sit. They're going to start soon."

Trevor led them to their table, pulled out her chair for her, and arranged it so she was sitting between himself and Elliot. "This won't be awkward at all," he whispered, sarcastically, to Olivia. "Why didn't you tell me you were with Elliot?"

"Because," she began, "I didn't know I was. I'm still not sure if I am!"

Elliot leaned over and smugly said, "You are."

Olivia turned to him, smirked and felt his hand creep over her leg under the table. It came to a stop on her knee, and he rolled it over, palm up, as if asking for something. He was. Her hand. She looked at him, quizzically, and then placed her hand in his. He clasped it, linking their fingers, and squeezed. His eyes closed at the same time, only briefly. When he opened them, he looked at Olivia and all of the love he felt for her was evident in his blue eyes.

Olivia felt a familiar feeling coursing through her body. The same feeling that she got when she woke up this morning wrapped in his arms. It was similar to the feeling she always got when a perp pulled a gun on her. The desperate desire to run, anxiety, fear, and the sudden realization that maybe she was in over her head. She took a breath, she squeezed his hand back, and she gave him a small smile. She decided that she couldn't really run in the heels she was wearing, and if she ran, it wouldn't help, anyway. He lived with her now.

Elliot rubbed the side of her hand with his thumb, then he leaned over and brushed his lips across her neck. "You're beautiful, Benson," he whispered, forgoing his special name for her since they were around their colleagues.

"Hey, Benson," Casey called from the next table. "Get over here, now, and explain!" Apparently, she had great observational skills for a lawyer.

Olivia's eyes widened, she chuckled, and she turned to Elliot. "I'll be right back," she said, kissing his cheek. "You, too," she said to Trevor. "But I'm not kissing you."

"Thank God for that," Trevor said, smacking her butt when she got up. As soon as she was chatting with Alex and Casey, Trevor leaned over to Elliot. "So, Stabler, this thing with Olivia, is it serious?"

Elliot sighed and tried to be nice. "Look, Trevor, I know you think I'm hot, but I'm not…"

"I know that. Why do you think I haven't hit on you?" Trevor asked, interrupting. "I'm asking for her sake. She's one of my best friends, and if you hurt her, I swear to God, I will kill you. I'm a very powerful lawyer, Stabler, so I'll get away with it."

Elliot shook his head and smirked. "It's, uh, serious. Yeah. I asked her to marry me."

"Wait, what? How long have you been seeing each other, exactly?" Trevor asked, shocked.

"Technically, we aren't even dating," Elliot said. He grinned, enjoying the very confused look he just put on Trevor's face. "I asked her, hypothetically, if she'd marry me. When she said that she would, I knew I had to take the chance and go after her. I love her."

Trevor smiled. "She loves you, you gotta know that. You're all she talks about. That's actually why I kissed her. We were out at the bar one night, and she was gushing about you, and how much she couldn't stand your wife, and she was just about to admit, out loud, that she'd fallen in love with you, when you walked into the bar. I kissed her so she'd shut up before you came over."

"That's why you had a bloody nose when I got to your table?" Elliot asked, laughing.

"Yeah," Trevor said. "Still think I'm a horrible human being?"

Elliot, without hesitation, said, "Yes."

They enjoyed an evening of dinner, some dancing, and they watched Trevor, along with their own A., Alex Cabot and Casey Novak, receive awards. They were asked, by no less then seven people, why the Special Victims Unit was the only department that bothered to show their support for their attorneys, and why they were sitting at the table with the people from Henshall and Langan. Suffice it to say, it was a relief to be home.

"I hate male lawyers," Elliot said, toeing off his shoes. "All of them. They're really all boring, all the time. Casey and Alex are not supposed to be mixing with people like Hart, McCoy and Langan. And that Henshall guy? Man, if he would have said one more thing about the global economic fallout…"

"El," Olivia said, laughing, "Shut up and hit the machine. It's blinking."

Elliot looked at her, deliberately pressing his lips together, and pushed the play button on her answering machine.

"Olivia, it's Kathy. I know he's staying with you. I would like you to tell him, since I'm not speaking to him, that since Maureen is fifteen years old, I think she can decide for herself who she wants to live with, and this custody hearing shit is pointless. I've had it with trying to make it work. If he wants to walk away after fifteen fucking years, then that's fine by me." There was a loud click, a beep, and the next message began.

"Daddy, I hope you didn't want any of your high school stuff, since Mom is throwing it all out the window. Uh, I think I can get some of it back in there without her noticing, but there's no way I can bring in your football stuff and, like, the prom pictures. Wait, was Mom pregnant at Prom? God, Dad! I'm surprised I'm an only child." They heard a loud crash and a growling curse. "Okay, Mom! Look, I'm putting it down! Mom is psychotic, Dad. Is there, like, a closet or something at Liv's that I can sleep in? I'm moving the stuff to the side of the house if you want to pick it up. I love you. Oh, hi Liv. Bye, Liv. Okay! Mom! I'm not picking it…" The machine beeped, cutting her off.

Elliot and Olivia looked at each other, looked at the clock, then back at each other. It was ten forty-five. "You wanna go get your stuff? I'd like to see what the great Elliot Stabler looked like in high school," Olivia said, slapping him in the arm.

"Livvy, baby," Elliot said, slipping back into his own shoes. "I was really not that impressive, but yeah. I'd like that stuff, actually. There's something I want you to have, if it's out there." He grabbed his coat and keys and ushered her out the door.

They walked back into her apartment, two hours later, carrying two boxes of stuff, including broken picture frames. Elliot put his box down on the coffee table and rifled through it. "Not in this one," he said. He took the box out of Olivia's hands and pawed through that one, and he made a victorious noise. "This," he said, holding up a ring on a chain, "Is my graduation ring. I had to put it on a chain, and put it away, because my crazy mother checked the box that said "women's" instead of "men's" and the damn thing was ordered way too small for me." He unclasped the chain and slid the ring off, and pulled Olivia toward him. "I never gave it to Kathy, because you're traditionally supposed to give it to the girl you're in love with, and, uh, I was never really in love with her. I just…"

Olivia nodded. "I know the story, El."

"So, I want you to have it," he said, holding the ring out to her. "At the risk of sounding like someone out of the Fifties, Livvy, will you wear my ring?"

Olivia laughed and shook her head, biting her lip. "Are you serious right now? You're giving me your high school graduation ring?"

"Yeah, about fifteen years late," he said, slipping the ring on her right ring finger, reserving her left for something else, and he smiled at her. "Looks good on you. Perfect fit, too."

"What do you know?" Olivia asked, wiggling her fingers. "Like it was meant to be."

Elliot laughed and kissed the end of her nose. "It was, Livvy. I gotta pee," he said, then jetted into the bathroom.

"Nice, El," Olivia shouted with a laugh. She spent a few minutes looking through the boxes, then plodded into her room and slipped out of her dress, oblivious to the man in the bedroom, gawking at her almost naked form. She pulled a pair of NYPD sweatpants and a tee-shirt out of the drawer and turned around. That's when she saw him. That's when she almost blushed, but thankfully, her body was too damn tired to turn red. She met him, face-to-face, wide-eyed. "Hey there, El." She tugged the tee over her head and pulled her pants on, rather quickly.

"Hi," Elliot replied. He was harder than he'd ever been in his life, seeing one of his fantasies in the flesh, quite literally. "You have the most amazing body, Livvy." He pulled her toward him, wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her nose.

"Oh, uh, thanks," she said, with a surprised smile. She relaxed into his embrace and looked up at him, nuzzling him back. "What with this? Are you part Eskimo?"

Elliot nodded, brushing his nose against hers again, and chuckled. "I know this is crazy, Livvy. And I know it's confusing, and scary, and there's a lot at stake here. Our friendship, our partnership, our jobs, our hearts, and if I fuck this up I lose the best thing that's ever happened to me, but I won't," he said, backing up the slightest bit. He looked into her eyes. "I swear to you, I won't."

Olivia gasped, her eyes narrowing. He had just made her even more afraid to take the leap. He just had to remind her that their friendship, partnership, jobs, and whole lives would be destroyed if this didn't work. Then, with one smile, one look into his blue eyes, he reminded her that she didn't mind. "El," she said, looking back at him. "I'm usually terrible at relationships. I could never make them stick because I was always with you, working, and the guy I was with would always get jealous of you, or start resenting my job." She brushed his hair back and said, "And to be honest, for the last year, relationships failed because I wanted to be with you, El, so I found faults and flaws in other people just so I would have a reason to break it off."

Elliot laughed. "But, I am me, so I won't get jealous of me. And I work with you, so I won't resent your job, since I'll be working whenever you are," he said, smirking. "I don't see a problem here."

Olivia laughed. "Neither do I."

"Hey, listen, why don't I call Cragen? I'll tell him we're taking the day off, and we can just hang around here tomorrow and figure out what this is," Elliot suggested, swaying her in his arms.

"Taking the day off is a great idea, hanging around here with you sounds like a perfect plan, but we don't need to figure out what this is," Olivia said, pulling away from him and climbing into the bed.

Elliot raised an eyebrow and bit his bottom lip. "We don't? Why?"

"I thought we already knew," she said, crooking her finger at him.

Elliot tilted his head as he crawled into the bed next to her. "What is it, then, Livvy?" he asked, wrapping an arm around her.

"Love," Olivia said, directly. "Only backwards." She looked into his eyes, and slowly, tentatively, reached for his neck. She wrapped her hand around it and pulled, and before either of them knew what was happening, they were kissing. Really kissing. Slow, passionate, easy and emotional. It was absolutely wonderful. Elliot pulled away from her and looked into her eyes, realizing that, though they'd said it, they'd never said it the right way. He needed to fix that. "I love you, Livvy," he told her, his heart racing, his hands cupping her face.

Her hands were locked around his neck and her eyes were locked on his. She could hear her heartbeat more than she could feel it, and it sounded like a speeding train. She didn't want to run from this, she fought of the fear and the anxiety and she closed her eyes and jumped. She opened them as she said, "I love you, too, El."

Their lips met again, entangling their tongues in a deliciously slow kiss. They weren't worried about what tomorrow would bring. In fact, they were looking forward to taking the next backward move, in order to move forward with their lives, now that Elliot's gold band, the first one he'd ever had, was fit snugly on Olivia's finger.

**A/N: What's next? Gotta love Trevor! What was Olivia saying to Casey and Alex? What else was in those boxes? And how will all of this go over at work? More, if you want it.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Quips, quacks, and quiet smiles. That's how you keep a secret. Only backwards.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and narrative belong to TStabler©**

"Okay," Elliot said sighing and running a hand down his face. "Fisher, you've got exactly one minute to tell Detective Benson and myself what really happened before I get angry."

Olivia's eyes widened and she made a surprised face. "Oh, man, Fisher. You won't like him when he's angry," she said. "Have you ever see a volcano erupt?"

"Uh," Fisher stuttered. "Yeah."

Olivia shrugged. "If the Incredible Hulk and an erupting volcano had a baby, it would be tame compared to my partner's temper."

Fisher looked at Elliot and gulped.

"You're down to thirty seconds," Elliot warned, cracking his knuckles and clenching his teeth.

"Fisher, tell us how your DNA got inside Molly Anderson," Olivia said, eyeing Eliot, whispering. "I think my partner's gonna rip your head off, if you don't."

Fisher shook his head. "I...don't...know," he stammered.

"Uh-oh," Olivia said. "That made him even more pissed, Fisher."

"Ten seconds," Elliot spat, rising to his feet and tossing the chair, violently, against the wall. "Nine."

"Eight," Olivia said, her eyes filled with excitement as she bored into Fisher's petrified orbs. "Seven. Come on, Fisher. This is a new shirt. I can't afford to get it all bloody," she said. "But then we could do a DNA comparison and prove that it really is your..."

"Five!" Elliot roared, rolling up his sleeves.

"What happened to s-s-s-ix?" Fisher asked, shaking.

"Talked through it," he boomed. "Four!"

Olivia moved out of the way, watching as Elliot leaned over, almost touching foreheads with Fisher. She whispered into the perp's ear, almost seductively, "Three...two..."

Elliot's hand reached for Fisher's throat and the perp cracked. "Okay! Okay! I did it! I...r-r-raped her. I'm s-s-sorry, she was m-m-my dreamg-g-girl." Fisher backed up and moved out of Elliot's reach. "She was irresistible."

"How the hell do they do it?" Alex asked, watching through the mirrored window.

Cragen smirked, shrugged, and said, "It's a gift."

Olivia and Elliot came through the door to the pit, smirking. They both waited for approval from their captain.

"That was one hell of a performance," Cragen said.

"Who was performing?" Olivia asked, sounding serious. "He's damn lucky he cracked when he did. Stabler really would have ripped his off." She turned her head, smiled at Elliot, winked and walked into the bullpen.

Alex watched her leave and shook her head. "I haven't been here that long, but I'm pretty sure I got you two pegged. You have a love-hate relationship, right?"

"Something like that," Elliot said with a smug grin, rolling his sleeves back down.

"Well, that confession will stick, I think," Alex said. "If I can convince McCoy you weren't really going to rip his head off, you hot-head. I'll go schedule his arraignment." She left the pit and Elliot chuckled.

Elliot looked at Cragen and said, "So, our new A.D.A seems to have made up her mind about me."

"Made up her mind about Olivia, too," Cragen said. "Cabot thinks Benson's stable and intelligent, she thinks you're a fucking time bomb, but she thinks the two of you, together, can't fucking lose."

"She's right," Elliot said with a smirk and a shrug as he walked into the squadroom.

Cragen chuckled. "I know she is," he said to absolutely no one.

* * *

Olivia opened the door, Elliot pushed her inside, playfully. He dropped the bag of takeout on the new coffee table and turned to Olivia. "Hey, Livvy, just out of curiosity, what were you, Casey and Alex talking about at that party?"

"Oh, uh," Olivia laughed, hanging up her jacket. "Us, actually. Casey saw you kiss my neck, and I had to convince them their eyes deceived them. Told them I was there with Trevor, and that you and I were just partners, and they probably saw you fixing my tag or something. I explained that the most kissing we do is friendly pecks on the cheek," she explained. She sat next to him on the couch and looked into the bag of food. "Why?"

"Alex thinks I'm a hot-head," Elliot said, throwing his arm around her. "Could you, maybe, tell her I'm really not?"

"I'm not gonna lie to the A.D.A, El," Olivia joked, handing him his carton of chicken and broccoli.

Elliot scoffed with a smile. "Nice, Livvy," he said, kissing her. He put the food on the coffee table and wrapped his other arm around her, deepening the kiss. "I'm not a hot-head."

"Yeah," Olivia said, looping her hands around his neck, "You are. But you're my hot-head."

"Yes, I am," Elliot said, smirking against her lips. "You wanna eat now? Or..."

"Shut up, El," Olivia said, pulling him closer as she leaned back on the couch. He was forced on top of her as she fell back, his hands running over body. He was reaching for the buttons on her shirt when the apartment phone rang. "Shit," Olivia said, laughing. "Eat," she told him.

Elliot kissed her once more, then sat up, reached for his food and dug in, as Olivia answered the phone. "Benson," she said. She rolled her eyes and mouthed, "Kathy." Elliot, chomping on broccoli, mouthed back, "Hang up!" Olivia laughed silently and said, "Yeah, I will. No, uh, I don't think...that's a lot to...I'll ask, but he won't...bye," she said, raising an eyebrow. "She hung up on me."

"What did she want?" Elliot asked, with his mouth full.

Olivia laughed as she put the cordless back on the cradle. "You have no manners. She wants me to try to convince you to work things out with her."

Elliot raised an eyebrow and swallowed. "You gonna do it?"

"Oh, Elliot. Please, oh, please, go home to your wife," Olivia said, dryly, in a monotone manner, and unenthusiastically. "There, I tried." She plopped back down on the couch and stole Elliot's chicken and broccoli.

"And I'm the one with no manners?" Elliot asked, feigning shock. He ripped the carton back from her and she laughed as she chewed. She reached for the other carton of food, but moved her hand to the first box of Elliot's stuff that was still on the table. "Livvy, don't..."

He didn't get the words out of his mouth, and she had his yearbook in her hands. "Class of Nineteen-Ninety-Two," Olivia said. "That makes you old."

"I'm only two years older than you," Elliot said.

Olivia laughed. "I know," she said, rolling her eyes. "I am not looking forward to turning thirty-four."

"Four more months. Now who's old?" Elliot teased.

"Don't make me hurt you," Olivia spat, flipping through the pages. "Oh, my God," she said, chuckling. "You were on every team humanly possible."

Eliot nodded. "Baseball, football, basketball and hockey," he listed.

"You were hot, El," Olivia said, shutting the book and tossing it back in the box.

"What do you mean, I was?" Elliot asked, sounding offended.

Olivia laughed. "Oh, my God. Are you gonna pick a fight with me every five seconds for the rest of the night? Take the compliment, Stabler! You know you're still gorgeous."

He smirked and popped his collar. "Damn right I am," he quipped, smugly. "Livvy, you're one lucky woman."

"Oh, give me a break, El," Olivia said, rolling her eyes. She laughed when she saw the look on his face and kissed him. "I know. I am. I'm very lucky."

Elliot looked at her, and very seriously said, "No. I'm the lucky one, Livvy." He cupped her face, pulled her toward him and kissed her, slowly, sweetly. He let one hand drop to her shoulder, over her arm, down her back, and it was making it's way back up, under her shirt, when his cell phone rang. "Damn it to hell," he mumbled, still kissing her. He slid his hand out of her shirt, reached into his pocket, and answered his phone. His mouth still pressed against hers, he said, "Stabler." The kiss broke, abruptly. "Yeah, Cap. No, uh, I can go get Benson. Yeah. Okay, got it." He hung up and sighed. "Duty calls."

"Doesn't it always?" Olivia asked, kissing his cheek. "Where are we going?"

"The docks," Eliot said, getting off the couch. "Didn't I tell you that thing's fucking comfortable?"

Olivia nodded. "It's big, too."

"Every time I try to prove how big it is, a fucking phone rings," he joked, rolling his eyes. "Let's go, Livvy." He pulled her out of the couch, kissed her passionately, and tugged her out the door.

* * *

"What have we got?" Olivia asked, getting out of the car, in the rain, and walking down the dock.

A uniformed officer replied, "Twenty-one year old girl, clothes torn off, throat slashed."

"And the rain is washing away our evidence," Elliot added.

"No, it's not," the uniformed cop said. "I remember how mad you two got last time it rained, so as soon as the rain started I had two of my guys stand over the body with umbrellas."

Olivia laughed. "Thanks, Sanders," she said, slapping him on the shoulder. They spent a bit of time with Warner and they searched the scene, then they took their Chevy back to the station. They got out of the red car and before Olivia headed to the door, Elliot grabbed her arm.

"Stabler," she spat, "It's pouring out here! What the hell?"

Elliot smiled at her. "Dance with me, Benson."

"What?" she asked with a surprised laugh.

Elliot wrapped his arms around her and started swaying back and forth. "No one can see us out here. The rain...it does something to me, Livvy. For the last year, watching you in the rain has made me crazy."

"Really? How?" she asked, giving in and moving with him.

Eliot brushed his nose against hers. "I've always wanted to dance with you in the rain. And kiss you," he said, pressing his lips to hers. A loud crash of thunder, a flash of lightning, and a lot of sparks occurred the moment their lips touched.

Olivia took a deep breath as they pulled apart. "I love you," she said. "But we should really get inside." She ran her hand through his hair and water rolled off of his head. They chuckled.

"I love you, too," Elliot replied as he followed her into the building.

"You two look like drowned rats," Cragen said as they walked into the bullpen.

"We love you, too, Cap," Olivia said, smirking.

Munch looked up from his desk and blinked. "Do I need to wring the two of you out?"

"Yeah," Elliot said, walking over to him. He squeezed the water out of his tie, into Munch's coffee cup. "There, I gave you a head start."

"Thanks, Stabler," Munch said, scoffing, with a smirk.

Fin laughed and clapped. "Man, who needs cable with you people?"

"Do you have an ID on the vic? Have you notified the family?" Cragen asked, a bit annoyed at the antics going on.

Olivia looked up, as she paper-towel-dried her hair. "The vic's name is Georgia Southerland."

"And we figured we'd come in here and dry out a little before we popped in on the parents," Elliot said. "Wouldn't want to show up looking like drowned rats to deliver the bad news, right?"

"Daddy?"

Elliot looked toward the door at the sound of his daughter's voice. "Maur? What are you doing here? My God, did you walk here?"

"No, Dad," Maureen said. "I took a cab, but it's really coming down out there. Hi, Liv."

"Hi, sweetie," Olivia said, smiling.

Elliot walked over to his daughter and repeated his question. "What are you doing here, Mo?"

Maureen sighed and looked up at her father. "Mom didn't hear back from Liv, so she assumes you're not gonna change your mind. She told me to choose. I choose you."

Elliot looked at Olivia, a serious question in his eyes.

Olivia looked down at his graduation ring, which was still on her finger, and raised her head to glance back at him. She smiled and nodded.

"We'll go get the rest of your stuff tomorrow, honey," Elliot said, pulling his daughter into a tight hug. As his head rested on his teenage daughter's, his tear-filled eyes found Olivia's. He silently thanked her, and she saw the love in them, the devotion. Olivia looked back at him with just as much feeling, hoping that Maureen wouldn't have a problem with the backwards development in her father's relationship with her, and that Elliot wouldn't have a problem moving backwards with Maureen in the apartment.

**A/N: Next: Maureen moves in, and do Olivia and Elliot FINALLY take that next backwards step?**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Things moves faster when they move backwards. ;) And a new case tests their new relationship.**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. TStabler© owns the narrative, dialogue and plot of this story.**

"I think we're done, kid," Olivia said, plopping a paint covered arm over Maureen's shoulders. "It's a little small, but it's not meant to be a bed..."

"It's perfect, Liv," Maureen said, interrupting. "Thank you for doing all of this."

"We did it together," Olivia said, brushing the teen's hair back.

They heard the door open and close, heard Elliot curse as he tripped over a box on the floor, then heard his voice. "What the hell? Livvy? Maur?"

"In here, Dad!" Maureen yelled.

Elliot walked around the corned and peered into the closet-turned bedroom and his eyes widened. "What's going on?"

Olivia tapped a finger against her chin. "So, let's see. My walk-in-closet is now empty. We're covered in purple paint, and there's a new bed in the living just waiting for some big, strong cop to help assemble. What do you think is going on?"

"I have a room," Maureen said, grinning.

Elliot smiled at Maureen, then looked up at Olivia and his heart thudded against his chest. She was absolutely amazing. "Liv, I...she could have just...that's a big couch, and I..."

"El," Olivia interrupted. "I was not going to let her stay on the couch. Every girl needs her own room, and Maureen told me that she didn't get to decorate her old one the way she wanted. We got up early, I took her shopping, and everything that's going in here is one-hundred-percent Maureen Stabler. Even when you guys leave, this room will..."

"Leave?" Elliot asked with a raised eyebrow. "You've been inhaling too many paint fumes," he laughed. "Get out of that room, guys. Mo, Liv and I will put the bed together. You order some pizzas."

"Awesome," Maureen said, kissing her dad on the cheek. She ran into the living room and picked up the phone.

Elliot pulled Olivia close to him and his eyes sparkled as he looked into hers. "How am I supposed to thank you for this?" he asked, brushing her paint-speckled hair back.

Olivia hummed. "Find a way to get all of the shit in the living room to fit in the bedroom closet?" she said with a chuckle.

"Livvy, seriously," he said, kissing her. "Thank you, baby. So much."

"You don't have to thank me, El," she said, running a painty hand through his hair. "You should know, I'd do anything for you and that little girl."

Elliot smiled softly at her, pulled her closer and kissed her deeply. They got caught up in the kiss quickly, wrapping themselves around each other, and didn't hear the footsteps coming around the bend.

"Dad, do you want pepper...oh, my God!"

Elliot and Olivia broke apart, quickly, and looked at Maureen, shocked and wide-eyed. They weren't exactly sure of what to make out of the big smile on her face.

"Yeah," the girl said into the phone, grinning. "Pepperoni. Mild. It's hot enough around here." She turned, chuckling, and walked back toward the kitchen as Olivia and Elliot looked at each other, confused.

"I guess this means, uh, we have to change our plans tonight," Olivia said, softly, running a hand through Elliot's hair again.

Elliot looked at her and smirked. "Like I said, Livvy. You've inhaled too many paint fumes."

* * *

"Well," Olivia said, yawning, as she padded into the bedroom. "Maureen likes her new room. She was so tired from putting it all together, though, that the second her head hit that new purple pillow, she conked out." She crawled into the bed and wrapped an arm around Elliot, raising an eyebrow when she realized he was wearing nothing but his boxers. She smirked and snuggled closer, loving the way his warm body felt against hers.

"Look," he said, pointing to the closet as he kissed her forehead.

Olivia turned her head and laughed. "How the hell did you get everything in there?"

"You had a lot of shit in that closet, Livvy. So, I just organized it and then there was all this extra room. My stuff's on the left, by the way," he said, chuckling. He looked at her, smirked, wrapped his arms around her and rolled on top of her, pulling her under him.

"Hello," she said, surprised, with a chuckle.

Elliot laughed. "Hi," he said, bending his head to kiss her. "I told you," he said between pecks, "That Maureen's being here wouldn't affect this. Us." He deepened the kiss, skimmed his hands down her body, and when he got to the hem of her pajama top, he broke the kiss and looked at her, silently asking for permission.

Olivia nodded and raised her arms, taking a deep breath when Elliot pulled the tank top off of her. She bit her lip when she saw him staring down at her, his eyes wide. "El, what..."

"Livvy, you are the most beautiful creature I have ever laid on eyes on," he said before tossing the shirt over his head onto the floor. He dropped his lips to her skin, peppering light kisses over her face, neck and chest, running his hands down her legs, shirking off her pants.

Olivia sighed, when she felt him tug off the flannel bottoms, and closed her eyes. This was really happening. Her heart was pounding and her mind was racing. If they did this, there was no going back, they'd change everything, for good.

"Livvy?"

His voice snapped her out of her mode of panic, and she looked at him, her breathing still rapid and shallow. She must have had her eyes closed longer than she thought because she was completely naked. He was staring at her again. "El," she whispered.

Elliot dropped his head to kiss her, slowly and deeply, and trickled his fingers down her body again. He slid two fingers up her slit and groaned with a shudder as she moaned into his mouth. "Shh," he said, smirking against her lips. "Maur's asleep. I wanna keep it that way."

"Oh, God, Elliot," Olivia whispered, feeling him push one finger into her.

Elliot groaned softly, feeling how wet and tight she was. "Oh, Livvy, damn," he whispered, kissing her neck. He added another finger and covered her mouth with his when he heard her gasp. He thrust his fingers, slowly, twisting them and curling them. He needed to stretch her a bit. He didn't want to hurt her. He added another finger, squeezing his eyes shut when she yelped into his mouth and grabbed onto him.

Olivia broke away from the kiss and arched her back off of the bed, her eyes screwed shut. "Holy..."

"Livvy," Elliot interrupted, removing his hand. He sucked his fingers clean, then moved into position. "I love you," he said, right before he kissed her, passionately. He looked into her eyes as their foreheads touched, and his breath was just as short and shallow as Olivia's.

"I love you," she whispered back, trying to keep some kind of composure, looking into his darkened blue eyes. As he peered into her chocolate orbs, he pushed into her, and she moaned, a mix of pleasure and pain, and she knew that, though they'd gone backwards, this was where they belonged.

Elliot felt her nails breaking the skin on his back. He stopped moving, knowing that he had hurt her somehow, and he kissed her. "Livvy," he whispered, "Baby, I..."

"God, El," she whispered back as a tear ran down her cheek. "Please. It's okay, baby, move." She looked into his blue eyes and kissed him, locking her eyes on his, making this incredibly intimate experience more explosive.

He did move, without ever taking his eyes off of hers. It was slow, passionate, and everything they'd both always dreamed it would be. It was also very quiet. An hour later, when they'd finished, and exhaustedly crumpled together in the new, comfortable bed, Elliot rolled to the side and pulled her close, kissing her languidly. "Next time," he said, "I wanna make you scream," he whispered into her ear.

"El!" Olivia said, shocked, laughing. "

"Livvy, you were holding back for Maureen's sake, we both were," he said, kissing her. "I know, from many drunken conversations, that you've never been a screamer, but if tonight was any indication of the noise I can get you to make, then the first chance I get..." he paused to look at her, kiss her, and hold her tight. "I'm taking it." He brushed her damp hair back, kissed her again, and snuggled close. They fell asleep locked in each other's arms.

* * *

The alarm went off, waking them both. Their eyed fluttered open, and they smiled, then laughed, when they found themselves naked and entangled. "Good morning," Elliot said, caressing her arms and kissing her.

"A very good morning," Olivia responded, kissing him back. She got up, smiled at him, and walked into the bathroom, loving the way Elliot's eyes followed her.

Elliot smirked, chuckled lowly to himself, and got out of the bed. He pulled on sweats, walked across the hall and knocked on his daughter's door. "Mo, honey. You gotta get up."

"What time is it?" he heard her ask through the door.

"Almost five-thirty," Elliot said, rubbing his eyes and pulling a tee shirt over his head. "If you're gonna live here, you gotta leave when we do, kiddo."

Maureen opened the door and looked at her father. "So, you and Liv, you're a 'we,' huh?"

"What you saw, in the hall yesterday," he began, blinking quickly, "Was..."

"You and Liv kissing and then spending the rest of the night pretending it didn't happen," Maureen finished with a smirk. "I just wanna tell you I know what's really going on, Dad. I don't want you and Liv to feel like you can't be comfortable around me."

Elliot raised an eyebrow. "You're worried about us being comfortable around you?"

"Yeah," Maureen said, yawning. "I'm totally cool with you and Liv. If you don't mind me saying this, Daddy, she's a much better catch than Mom." Maureen smirked and closed the door, leaving her father speechless.

* * *

Elliot and Olivia walked into the squadroom at six-thirty, they were actually early, and found Trevor sitting in Elliot's seat.

"Hey," the lawyer said, brightly. "Something's different about you, Olivia. You look like you...holy shit," he said, his jaw dropping.

Olivia smirked at Langan and shook her head, sipping her coffee. "Whatever you're thinking, it's probably right."

"Damn! On a scale of one to ten, Olivia?" Trevor asked, aware of the other people in the room.

"Five," she said. Then she practically heard Elliot's face contort into a stiff scowl. "Hundred," she added, turning to face him. She smirked at Elliot, winked, and sat in her seat. "What are you doing here, Trevor?"

"Waiting for a client," he said, kicking his feet up on Elliot's desk.

Elliot yanked his feet off of the surface and tugged Trevor out of his seat by the collar. "Wait somewhere else, Langan," he barked, sitting at his desk. He looked at Olivia and whispered, "Five hundred?"

"Off the charts, really, I just wanted to see your face when I said 'five,'" she laughed, sipping her coffee. "So what has this client of yours done? Why is this an SVU case? Where's Munch?"

"You ask too many questions," Trevor said, chuckling. "Rape one, that's why, Munch is the one bringing him in. And, uh, you might wanna call Sergeant Tucker on this one."

"What? It's a cop?" Elliot asked, wide-eyed.

Trevor nodded. "You guys remember..."

Before he could finish his question, Alex and Munch walked in with the perp in cuffs. "Oh, my God," Olivia said, her eyebrows high. "Jeffries."

**A/N: How the hell...? In the next chap, how backwards are they moving? And do they need to move faster, for a reason?**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Someone wants to move at actual-lightning speed, only backwards, of course.**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. TStabler© owns the narrative, dialogue and plot of this story.**

Elliot and Olivia watched Munch toss his former partner, Monique Jeffries, into the interrogation room with tears in his eyes. He walked back toward his desk and slumped into his chair, dropping his head into his hands. "Damn," he mumbled. "Damn it to fucking hell."

"What happened?" Elliot asked, rising from his seat. He placed a hand on Munch's shoulder and squeezed lightly.

"She's being accused of drugging and raping a twenty-five year old guy she met at a bar last night. Some fucking kid named Mikey or Mike or Mickey or some shit," Munch explained. "Did you call Tucker?"

Elliot nodded. "Olivia's got it."

"Tucker's on his way," Olivia said, hanging up the phone. "He told us to go ahead and question her, as long as Trevor's here."

Elliot nodded."I'll be in in a second," he said, walking out the squadroom doors. "Bathroom," he whispered to Olivia.

Trevor and Olivia and headed into the interrogation room, but he stopped her in the pit. "Woah, hold on a second," he said, grabbing her arm. "You really fucked him?"

"I wouldn't put it like that, Trevor," Olivia said, smacking his arm.

"Well, I'm in a bit of shock here, Olivia! Aren't you moving a little fast?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Olivia chuckled. "It's not fast if you're going the wrong way," she said.

"I'm not even gonna pretend I understood that. So, uh, how was it? I mean, really? I want details," Trevor said, leaning up against the wall. "You know I've always wondered what he's like in bed, Olivia."

"Amazing," she said, leaning up against the two-way mirror. "Mind-blowing, earth-shattering. I almost screwmed. I would have, except we had to be quiet because his daughter's..."

"He made you wanna scream?" Trevor asked, surprised. "No one has ever...wait," Trevor smirked. "How big is he?"

That question earned him another smack. "Trevor," she said, "Why am I friends with you?"

"Because, Olivia, who else are you gonna tell all of this to?" Trevor asked, folding his arms with a laugh.

"Elliot's a very large man," Olivia said, raising an eyebrow. "It actually hurt for a minute, before it became the single most satisfying experience of my life."

Trevor's eyes widened. They luaghed as they heard Elliot come in and he looked very smug as he said, "Let's get on with it, shall we?" He needed the ego boost Olivia had just given him. He wouldn't tell her she heard them. Not yet anyway.

The interrogation didn't last long, and Tucker came up just in time to watch the two detectives get a confession. He walked into the interrogation room just as Elliot and Olivia walked out of it, giving them a curt nod and an abrupt, "Good work you two."

Olivia and Elliot looked at each other, wide-eyed. Elliot began to ask, "Did he just…"

"Yeah, he did," Olivia interrupted. She laughed, disbelievingly, and led Elliot out of the pit.

* * *

Elliot and Olivia walked into the apartment and saw Maureen, asleep on the couch, with a book in her hand. Elliot looked at Olivia and smiled, then softly walked over and shook his daughter lightly. "Mo," he said, "Honey, we're home."

"Hi, Dad," Maureen said, yawning, "Hi, Liv. Can one of you sign my Spanish test?" She pointed to the folder on the coffee table. "It's only a C-Minus, but she still wants it signed by a parent. Liv," she said with another yawn, "Can you help me study tomorrow?"

"Sure, honey," Olivia said, smiling at the girl.

"Thanks. There's pizza on the stove. Now that you two are home, I'm going to sleep." She got off the couch, throwing the blanket she'd been using to the floor. She gave her dad a hug and kiss, then gave a hug and kiss to Olivia. She said, "I love you guys," and padded into her room.

Olivia laughed as she picked up the blanket. "Wow," she said. "Signing Spanish tests, helping her with homework, picking up after her, it's like I'm her mother, but I didn't have to do any of the really hard work."

Elliot laughed and pulled Olivia toward him, kissing her. "You'd be an amazing mother, Livvy. You want kids, right?"

"You know I do," she said, nodding. "Someday. Oh! Thanks for reminding me…" she trailed off as she pulled away from him, walked over to her coffee table, and dug through her bag.

Elliot watched Olivia pull out a tiny pink box. Before she could take the pill, however, he cleared his throat and gave her a disapproving. "What?" she asked, looking up at him. "Unless you wanna knock me up, and make someday come soon, I have to take…"

Elliot raised his eyebrow and smirked. "Livvy," he said, interrupting her, "Maybe I do."

"El," Olivia said, dropping her birth control back into her bag. "Think about what you just said."

"Livvy," Elliot said, walking over to her. "I know exactly what I just said."

Olivia looked up at him with moist eyes. "We aren't even…"

"Yeah, we are." Elliot tightened his grip on her and tried to see deep into her soul through her eyes. "Maybe it wasn't as hypothetical of a question as you thought it was. Neither is this one. I'm asking, not hypothetically, if you want to have a baby. With me."

"Are you really serious?" she asked, unaware that she was crying.

Elliot smiled, tears in his own eyes, as he wiped away the ones that had fallen down her cheek. "Yeah," he whispered. "I'm not saying we're gonna drop everything and open up a baby factory right now," he laughed. "But I don't want to you take those stupid things, honey. Not with me. There's no reason. Just, let it happen if it's gonna happen, and we'll deal with it. I'll be fucking thrilled, actually."

Olivia chuckled, sniffling. "You're nuts."

"I am," Elliot admitted.

"You don't see a problem with any of this?" Olivia asked, looping her arms around his back. "We move in together, your daughter's in my closet, and you just flat out told me to stop taking the 'no-baby' pills, and we've only been together for…"

"A year, Livvy," Elliot said. "We've been together for a year. We've just made it really fucking official a week ago. I, uh, have a confession to make, baby."

"Uh-oh," Olivia said, her face falling.

"Nothing serious, Livvy," Elliot chuckled. He put his hand on the small of her back and pushed her gently toward the bedroom. "I just wanted to let you know the reason I kind of hit you over the head with this whole relationship."

Olivia turned and narrowed her eyes. "And what's that?"

"I knew you'd run, eventually, if we started slow," he said, bluntly. "I loved you too much and I needed you too desperately to let you have the chance to do that. By rushing the shit out of you, I knew you just wouldn't be able to run. I knew what I was doing. The whole time."

Olivia tilted her head to the side and furrowed her brow, watching as Elliot stripped. Clad only in his boxers, he walked over to the other side of the bed and pulled down the sheets. He dropped the boxers, then, too, making Olivia growl slightly. "What do you mean, you knew I'd run?" She, too, undressed, forgoing pajamas, figuring he'd only take them off of her in a minute.

"Livvy," Elliot said sighing, then gasping as he watched her drop her clothes to the floor, "In the past year, I've watched five different guys go nuts over you, and I've watched you drop them like hot potatoes the second it got serious. You're usually terrified of commitment. I decided that I'd force you to make a huge commitment, right off the bat, and if you didn't run, screaming, for the hills, then we'd be okay."

Olivia laughed as she watched him climb into the bed, interrupting him. "So, you asked me to marry you because you didn't want me to run away when you…"

"Really asked you to marry me," Elliot nodded. "Yeah. Something like that. I know it's all backwards and unconventional, but since when have we ever done anything the right way?" he asked, pulling her down into the bed. "We never follow the rules. Ever."

Olivia nuzzled into him with a chuckle. "That's true," she said. "By the way, I only ran from those other guys, because I was falling in love with my partner at work, and I knew I couldn't live with myself if I let things get serious with a guy I wasn't serious about, if there was any chance my partner would ever love me back."

Elliot chortled as he nibbled lightly on Olivia's neck. "Your partner's a very lucky guy, Livvy." He sucked her pulse for a moment, making her groan, then said, "And he loves you more than you could possibly imagine."

"God, that feels good," she murmured, as his lips traveled down her back.

Elliot chuckled, pulling her closer. "That's the point," he said against her skin. He moved, kissing over her neck again, over her collar bone, up her chin, finally reaching her lips. He pressed his lips to hers, muffling the moan coming from deep within her chest as his fingers slid up her slit. "I was serious, Livvy," he said, pushing his digits inside of her.

"About what," she whimpered. "God, El," she cried softly, arching her back.

"Everything," he whispered, thrusting his fingers faster. He curled and twisted his fingers as he snaked his way down her body, adding his tongue to the mix, making her cover her mouth with her own hand to keep from screaming. When he felt her clench around his fingers, he sucked, directly on her clit, like it was a straw. She wriggled and bucked and pulled the pillow out from underneath her head, holding it over her face, as she came completely undone.

As Elliot lapped up her juices, he chuckled. Then he crawled up her body, moved the pillow, tossing it to the floor, and looked into her eyes as he slowly pushed, just the tip of him, into her. "I'm sorry I hurt you, last night."

Olivia seethed as he did it again. She shook her head and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Don't be," she whispered, still panting from the first wild orgasm he gave her. "You should actually be very proud of yourself," she added with a chuckle, holding him tighter as he slowly inched into her, deeper. "You have no idea, El, how good you feel."

"If it's half as good as you feel to me," he whispered, kissing her, "Then we're both in fucking Heaven right now." He kissed her again, quieting the deep moans as he buried himself completely and started to move.

For the second night in a row, Elliot proved that Olivia could be a screamer, and he was the only man who'd ever made her make any of those noises. For the second night in a row, he promised that, soon, he'd be able to really make her scream, without his hand, mouth or the pillow muffling the noise.

* * *

The loud, obnoxious, blaring chorus to the song that had been set as Cragen's ringtone filtered through the air. Olivia woke with a start, popping up off of Elliot with such quickness that he woke up, too. "Fucking hell, it's three in the morning!" she barked, crawling off of her lover to find her phone.

"Livvy," Elliot said, rubbing his eyes, "Thriller? Really?"

"Benson," she said, picking up the call. "What? All right," she muttered, kicking through the clothes to find her bra. "We'll be there in…wait, why didn't you call Stabler first? Oh, shit. Well, Cap, I don't think I can keep…right but…you're where? Cap, I think...yeah, he is, but...okay. Give me five minutes." She hung up and frantically started to get dressed. "You," she said to Elliot. "Need to get out on that couch, now. And you need to be not naked!"

Elliot got out of the bed, but furrowed his brow. "Livvy, what…"

"Cragen is coming here to talk to you, and he's expecting to find you on my couch, where he thinks you've been sleeping until you find a place of your own. He can't find you naked in my…our bed. Holy shit, El. We didn't really think about this too much, did we? We can keep us a secret for a while, but what happens if I do get pregnant? What do we tell him?"

"We tell him the truth, Livvy," Elliot said, still naked, pulling her into his arms. "Calm down," he whispered, kissing her. "Why does he need to talk to me? What did I do?"

Olivia sighed. "You didn't do anything. He wants to check on you, and me, and Mo, and tell you why you can't work this case. I'm running it, with Fin."

Elliot yelled, then."Like hell you are! You're not handling this with some new guy! Some new, young, guy! I hate it when you work…" he paused, taking a deep breath. "Okay, right, you're mine now, I can let go of the possessive jealously just a bit. But can you at least tell me what the problem is?"

She pulled a clean sweater on over her head, watching Elliot pull on his sweats. They both padded out into the living room as she said, "Seventeen year old vic, raped and beaten, on her way to Saint Vincent's. The prime suspect is your brother, Michael."

Elliot's eyes widened. "Does Cragen know that he and I don't really…"

"No," Olivia said. "Tell him. Maybe you can work something out, but he's still your brother. Conflict of interest, El. You can't work this one, baby." She kissed him quickly as the knocking on the door sounded through the apartment. Elliot plopped on the couch, trying to make it look as though he'd been sleeping there all night. He ran his hands through his hair as he tried to process how Michael could have possibly done this, and how he could convince Cragen to let him work the case, since the two weren't really related.

**A/N: So, how is Michael not really his brother? Does Elliot get to work the case, or must he sit back and watch his Livvy work with someone else? Why was Tucker so nice to them? Does Michael have anything to do with Jeffries? What happens next with Olivia and Elliot in their backwards relationship? Review to find out!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Sometimes, the faster you go, the safer and happier you feel. But then again, sometimes, not really…**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. TStabler© owns the narrative, dialogue and plot of this story.**

"Sorry to bother you in the middle of the night, but it was important that I do this in person, Elliot," Cragen said, pacing back and forth in the living room.

Running a hand through his hair, Elliot said, "Yeah, Cap. No problem." He looked up at Olivia, who was leaning, nervously, against her wall and nibbling on her fingers. He smirked. God, she was adorable. "Cap, uh, Michael and I aren't actually related. He, uh, isn't my father's son."

"But you have the same mother," Cragen said, as if he'd already known. "Right?"

Elliot raised an eyebrow. "See, that, that I don't know. I could never get a straight answer out of my mom. We don't really get along, Cap. I swear, there's no chance of any favoritism, and I…"

"No, Elliot. Absolutely not," Cragen said, narrow eyed and bitterly. "I'm not taking any chances of IAB having issues with this. Benson is working with Fin, and you're parking your ass behind a desk until we straighten this out."

Elliot's eyes filled with anger, and he gritted his teeth, clenching his jaw. "Fine," he seethed. "If anything happens to her…"

"You don't trust her to do her job?" Cragen asked, raising an eyebrow, "Since when?"

"Is not her I don't trust," Elliot said, sounding almost evil.

Cragen was taken aback. If he didn't know better, he would have sworn Elliot wasn't just looking out for his partner, but that something much deeper was going on. But, then again, he didn't know better, did he? "Stabler, you need to calm down," Cragen spat, in the tone he always used when reprimanding Elliot about his temper. "Deal with it. Fin will watch her back, just like you would."

"I doubt that," Elliot barked, a vile look in his eyes.

"Watch it, Stabler!" Cragen snapped. "Benson," he said, turning to Olivia, "Station. Now. Fin's waiting for you."

Olivia nodded, then looked apologetically at Elliot. He tried to smile at her, but it came off as a disapproving scowl. She left, feeling like shit, leaving him, feeling just as bad, alone with Cragen. The captain sat on the couch next to Elliot and sighed. "You wanna tall me what's going on here?" Cragen asked, raising an eyebrow at Elliot.

"You just sent my partner," he paused, then emphasized, "_My_ partner, out there with someone who doesn't know squat about how she works, Cap. Fin doesn't know how Liv moves, how she operates, how she maneuvers and manipulates situations. What if he…"

"Hold it," Cragen said. "I know that's not what this is about, Elliot. I'm not gonna ask you, because it's better that I don't know. Just stop making it so fucking obvious. Ya know what? I don't want you at the station, at all, today. Stay home with your daughter, Stabler. Take her out, buy her something pretty, and be a daddy. And for the love of God, Elliot, I'm hoping I'm wrong about what's going on here." With that, Cragen rose and walked out of Olivia's apartment.

Elliot's angry eyes were now wide with shock. Cragen knew. They were screwed.

* * *

"This is really nice, Daddy," Maureen said, looking across the table at her father.

"Yeah," Elliot said with a contended sigh, "It is."

Maureen grinned slyly as she said, "It'd be nicer with Liv though, huh?"

"Oh, yeah, it would." Elliot looked at his daughter and put his fork down, trying to signal the waiter as he spoke. "Mo, uh, do you really like her?"

Maureen laughed. She'd never seen her father nervous before. "Of course I like her, Dad, she's awesome. And it's not like I didn't notice you falling all over her for the last year."

"Ya know, when you put it like that, you make me sound like an adulterous scumbag," Elliot said, taking the check from the waiter who'd finally come over to their table.

"Chill, Daddy," Maureen said, eating her last bit of pancake. "I know nothing really happened between you two until you left Mom. You're not that kind of guy."

"I'm glad you know that, Mo," Elliot said, chuckling. "Tell it to your mother."

Maureen added, "And I know Olivia's not that kind of girl."

"What does that mean?" Elliot asked, drinking his coffee with a furrowed brow.

"Well," Maureen said, tilting her head, "Think about it, Dad. Would Liv have ever even kissed you if she thought you were gonna go back to Mom? How long were you on her couch before you signed the divorce papers, Dad? She never tried anything, am I right? No matter how hard you tried, and I know you tried, she ignored it until you had those papers in your hand."

Elliot laughed and nodded. "Yeah, Mo, you're right. But, uh, would you have a problem if…"

"No, I wouldn't," Maureen said, before he could even finish his question. She smiled at her father and said, "And while we're shopping for new clothes for me, there's no harm in getting something for her, right?"

"I swear to God, you are definitely my daughter," Elliot said, shaking his head as he and Maureen got out of their seats.

Maureen smirked, a totally Stabler-smirk, and said, "Well, yeah, Dad. No one else in the world has eyes this blue, and I think my attitude speaks for itself."

"Oh, shut up," Elliot laughed, pushing his daughter out of the restaurant.

* * *

"Michael," Olivia said, leaning over the interrogation table, "You have to start talking. I can't yell anymore, and Fin is gonna get angry in a minute. He yells louder than I do. Your brother isn't here, and nothing you say needs to be repeated to him, if that's what you're worried about."

Michael just stared at her and said, "I can see it now."

"See what?" Olivia said, tilting her head. "Your life, behind bars, if you don't tell us what really happened?"

"No," said Michael, still holding her gaze. "Why he loves you so much."

Olivia swallowed back hard. "We're not talking about that," she said, rushed, as she got up and moved behind him. "We are talking about Sarah Davis, and how your DNA got inside of her if you said…"

"I slept with her," he said, craning his neck to see Olivia. "But it was consensual. It was a party, Detective Benson. Isn't that the excuse Monique used? When she did the same fucking thing to me?"

Olivia's eyes widened. "You were the…"

Michael interrupted her. "Yeah, I was. But I dropped the damn complaint! No one was gonna fucking believe me anyway, right? What guy gets raped by a woman? I'm a guy so I wanted it, right? Well last night, I did. And so did Sarah. If she was raped, it was after I left the party. I swear. After what happened to me, when a girl says 'no', even if she's just joking, I fucking stop."

"Oh, God, Mike," Olivia said, running a hand through her hair.

Michael dropped his head and said, softly, "Liv, please. Please, don't tell my brother."

* * *

Olivia walked into her apartment and was instantly hit with the smell of onions and garlic. "I think I'm in the wrong apartment," she said, looking around. "I don't have food in here."

"You do now," Elliot shouted from the kitchen, where he and Maureen were standing in matching chef hats and aprons. "We have made you one fabulous dinner, Madam Benson."

"El," Olivia said, raising an eyebrow. "In our line of work, you should know better than to call me 'Madam.'"

Elliot laughed, Maureen looked confused, and Olivia smirked as she took of her shoes and jacket. "What's the occasion?" she asked, stepping into the kitchen.

"Daddy's gonna—" Maureen was cut off when Elliot's hand wrapped around her mouth.

"Daddy's gonna finish cooking, Mo. Why don't you go wash your hands, huh? Quietly!" Elliot said, with a flat smile.

Maureen, wide-eyed, nodded and ran into the bathroom.

Olivia gave Elliot a suspicious look and shook her head. "What did you do? Pasta, homemade sauce, and garlic bread? Damn, El, you're giving my kitchen a complex. It thinks it's gonna be used more often, and that it's got a new owner."

"Well," Elliot said, shrugging. "It does. Kind of. How'd it go with Michael?"

"He's not our guy," Olivia said, sighing. "We did close another case with his help, though."

Elliot looked at her, quizzically. "Which case?"

"Oh, um, you know the one with the girl and the thing. Never mind," Olivia said, shaking her head. "I am done talking about work, I wanna know why you have turned into Chef Boyardee all of a sudden."

He turned and kissed her, brushed her hair back, and said, "I'll tell you after dinner."

Maureen ran back in, immediately grabbing the plates and she set the table. Then, Elliot brought the food over to the table, making sure to kiss Olivia with every trip. Then, they sat down, Elliot said Grace, and Maureen served the salad.

As they ate, they chatted about what Elliot and Maureen did, where they went, and how much fun they had spending the day together, just father and daughter. As they got ready for dessert, a homemade batch of brownies baked by Maureen, Elliot grabbed Olivia's hand. He didn't say a word, but he removed the gold class ring from her finger, replacing it with a simple, small, solitaire diamond on a shiny, gold band. Olivia looked up at him, speechless, confused.

Elliot looked at her and smiled, a bit nervously, as he said, "I told you, it wasn't a hypothetical question."

"El," Olivia gasped, looking from her finger, to the ring, back to him. Her eyes traveled over to Maureen, who was smirking, just like her father, and as she turned back to Elliot she said, "Your daughter…"

"Picked out the ring," Elliot finished, winking. "I know what this means, Livvy. I'm well aware that you'll have to avoid questions, and I'll have to pretend I don't care, but Cragen…I think he knows anyway…and I'm…"

"Wow," Olivia said, the weight of what was happening finally hitting her, "I'm not…should we really be…are you sure you want to do this?"

Elliot cleared his throat and leaned in closer, whispering, "Why would I ask you to have a baby with me, Livvy, if I didn't intend to marry you?"

"I just…I just thought that…" Olivia was tripping over her words, not realizing silent tears had fallen from her eyes. Everything had happened so quickly, so totally backwards, and she wasn't even sure what kind of girlfriend she'd make for him, let alone what kind of fiancée, wife and mother she would be. She looked up at Elliot, into his eyes, and none of it really seemed to matter. "So, uh, I probably shouldn't wear this to work, then," she finally said, smiling at him.

Elliot laughed as he kissed her, pulling her almost off of her chair and into his lap. "Not yet," he said, "No."

"Hey, Mister and Misses Stabler," Maureen said, chuckling. "The brownies are much better when they're hot."

"Misses Stabler," Olivia said, with a shocked, scared-sounding gulp. "That's a bit…petrifying, actually."

Elliot chuckled, rubbing her back, kissing her temple. "You already said yes, Livvy. And you told me when we first became partners that you'd never break a promise you made to me."

"Do you remember everything I've ever said to you?" Olivia asked, sarcastically.

Elliot nodded, smirking. "Yup," he said, biting into a warm brownie. He held the chocolatey treat in front of Olivia, and she bit, and she made a satisfied noise as her eyes widened, then rolled into her head.

"Oh, my God," Olivia said, with a mouthful. "That's fantastic."

Elliot grinned. "I know," he said, cockily.

"Hey," Maureen said, offended. "I made these. You just tossed in the nuts and the marshmallows and then watched me do everything else."

Elliot and Olivia laughed as they munched happily on their dessert. Olivia looked down at her hand, saw the gold band, and the sparkling diamond, and sighed. She looked back up at Elliot, who looked happier than she ever remembered seeing him, and she tried very hard to find a reason to think this was all insane, but she couldn't. For the first time in her life, she was truly happy, and she was thankful that Elliot knew her well enough to force her to go backwards. However, she was a tad afraid of what would happen when they got back to the beginning, when they found their routine, when none of this was new and dangerous and exciting anymore.

Elliot, seemingly reading her mind, kissed her and said, "This really is only the beginning Livvy. If you think I'm crazy now, wait until you see what I have planned for our first real date."

**A/N: Engaged before the first date? Oh, boy, Elliot, are you nutty or what? Kathy reacts in the next chapter, and we find out just how crazy Elliot really is!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: What crazy stunt does Elliot pull for his first date with his fiancee? And how, exactly, does Kathy find out about them?**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. TStabler© owns the narrative, dialogue and plot of this story.**

"This is insane," Olivia said, shaking her head.

Elliot laughed as he pulled her into the plane. "I warned you, baby. I told you this was gonna be crazy."

"El," Olivia said, buckling herself to the bench, "I thought maybe you were gonna take a chance and eat sushi, or try to find parking at Nigella's! I didn't think you were talking about this!"

Elliot laughed, again. "Livvy, honey, you are the only person in the world I could see myself doing this with. And you told me, a while ago, that if anyone took you skydiving on a first date, he'd be the man you married."

"Because I was pretty sure no one ever would!" Olivia yelped as the plane took off.

Elliot looked her in the eyes and took her hand. "Livvy, you agreed to marry me before you even knew how serious I was. You converted your closet into a bedroom for my daughter, without even asking how long we'd be staying with you. We've only, technically, been together three weeks and there's a diamond ring on your finger. You jumped into a whole new life with me, I think you can jump out of a plane with me."

Olivia laughed. "I didn't jump into anything! You jumped by yourself, you just landed on me!"

"Same thing!" Elliot laughed. "You ready?" he asked, taking her hand.

"No!" Olivia said, following him to the plane's door. "Have you done this before?"

Elliot nodded. "In the Marine Corps. It's a rush, Livvy."

"I'm not exactly sure what to do, El. I wasn't paying attention when that guy was talking," Olivia yelled to him over the sound of the plane. "I didn't think you were serious about this, so I tuned him out!"

Elliot laughed, kissed her, and squeezed her hand. "Just don't let go of me. I love you, Livvy, and I promise, you'll love this."

"I have no intention of letting go of you, El." She clutched his hand and the instructor behind them said, "Go," and gave them a shove. As she tipped off the plane, and fell, fast, toward the ground, she looked over at Elliot. She knew, then, that if she was going to hurl toward the Earth at a thousand miles an hour, there was no one else she'd rather do it with than him.

"So?" Elliot asked, grinning broadly as they walked away from their soft landing, dragging their parachutes behind them. "Did you have fun?"

Olivia laughed. "That was fantastic," she said, wrapping her arms around him. "You were right! That was such a fucking rush!"

Elliot laughed and kissed her. "I know, baby," he said. "And you look hot in that jumpsuit, Livvy."

"You don't look too bad, yourself, Stabler," she said with a wink. She leaned into to kiss him and said, "You kinda look like a Ghostbuster, and I have this powerful desire to play with Slimer right now." Her hand trailed down his body and cupped him.

"Livvy!" he laughed, surprised, as he jumped backward. "We're in public, baby," he whispered, looking around at the other couples who were landing and walking.

Olivia raised an eyebrow and bit her lip. "Then you'd better get me somewhere private, fast," she whispered, seductively. "Who knew jumping out of a plane with you was gonna be such a goddamn turn on?"

Elliot's eyes widened. He cleared his throat and grabbed her hand, pulling her into the hangar. They chuckled, mischievously, as Elliot looked around, making sure no one could see them, and led Olivia into an empty locker room. They came out, an hour later, fully dressed, smirking. Elliot handed the folded jumpsuits to the instructor who was standing next to a plane. "Thanks," he said. "Two of the biggest thrills of my life."

"You jumped twice?" the instructor asked, taking the clothes and gear from Elliot.

Elliot shook his head and said, "Nope."

Olivia snickered at the confused look on the instructors face, taking Elliot's hand, and they walked out through the main gates.

* * *

"Who is this guy, Olivia?" Alex said, leaning against Fin's desk. "You're happier than I have ever seen you. But who the hell takes someone skydiving on a first date?"

Olivia smirked, sipping her coffee. "He's wonderful," she said. "I am happier than I have ever been, and the fact that he took me skydiving proves that he knows what kinda girl I really am."

Munch, peering over his sunglasses, said, "He knows you're a violent, spontaneous, sarcastic, adrenaline junkie?"

"Yeah," Olivia said, narrowing her eyes at Munch.

"And he still likes you?" Munch asked, smirking.

Olivia scoffed as she licked her lips and shook her head. "You're asking for it, Munch. Really, don't push me. Not today."

Fin looked up from his computer, smirking. "After dealing with that bastard this morning, Munch, she will kill you." He looked over at Olivia and smiled. "I'm glad you found someone who finally gets you, Baby-Girl. Just hope Stabler doesn't run him off this time, like he usually does."

Elliot shook his head, putting down his coffee. "Nah, I like this guy," he said, winking at Olivia.

"Wait," Alex said, squinting. "You let Stabler meet him? I'm your best friend, Benson."

"No," Elliot said, declaratively, "I am, Alex. Hence, she needed my approval before yours."

Olivia chuckled. "Trust me, Alex. You'll approve," she said, her eyes gleaming. Alex had made a bet with Olivia, when she first became Elliot's partner, that this would happen, and Olivia couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she found out she won.

"Well, whoever he is, Benson," Cragen said, his voice echoing through the bullpen. "Tell him you can't see him tonight. You and Stabler gotta find the man who did this," he said as he hung a new photo on the whiteboard.

"Ouch," Munch said, seething.

Olivia's eyes widened. "Is she even alive?"

"Barely," Cragen said. "Warner got DNA and fingerprints, O'Halloran just called. He's on his way up with the results. She was found in Brooklyn, so this was not your case, until that phone call came in."

Elliot shifted in his seat and furrowed his brow. "Why is it ours now?"

O'Halloran, the lab tech, from behind Elliot, said, "Because the DNA and fingerprints found at the scene match three of your unsolved rapes. Brooklyn kicked it over to you, figured you'd want to keep the man to yourselves." O'Halloran handed the file to Elliot and added, "This time, we got a hit. He was recently fingerprinted by the bar association."

Elliot looked down and smirked. "We got ourselves a defense attorney rapist, Liv," he said, holding out the file to her. "His home address is in Queens."

Olivia reached out for the file and Alex gasped. "Benson, is that an engagement ring?"

"Let's go," Olivia said, as her eyes widened, tossing her empty cup in the bin.

"Olivia!" Alex yelled. "It is, isn't it?"

"Bye, Alex," Olivia said hurriedly, practically shoving Elliot out the door. She pushed him out, into the hall, into the elevator, laughing.

"If that camera wasn't there, I'd kiss you right now," Elliot said, smirking at her.

Olivia smirked back. "I'd do a whole lot more than kiss you if that camera wasn't there, El," she quipped.

"I thought you weren't gonna wear it to work," Elliot said, still chuckling.

"I forgot I was wearing it, El!" Olivia said, laughing. "Did you see her face?"

Elliot nodded, snickering. "Did you see Cragen's or Fin's? The only one who didn't look shocked was Munch."

Olivia shook her head as she laughed silently. "Hey. You gonna be okay? This guy lives on your old…"

"Yeah," Elliot said, nodding. "I'll be fine. Odds are we won't even run into Kathy. She's probably stuck at the hospital, or plopped in front of the couch, the way she has been for fourteen years."

"You really weren't happy, were you?" Olivia asked, stepping out as the doors opened.

Elliot shook his head as he walked out after her. "Not at all. Not since Maureen was three. It was just, uh, safe, I guess. Neither one of us wanted to be the one to leave, admit we failed."

"Then I came along," Olivia sighed. "She threw you and your daughter out, because of me."

"And I thank God every day that she did," Elliot said, "Because it saved me from having to be the one to leave. I was gonna leave, Liv. This," he said, holding up her left hand as they walked to the car, "Would have happened anyway."

Olivia smiled. "I know," she said as she got into the car. She smiled at him as he pulled out of the lot and headed off to Queens.

* * *

"You or me?" Olivia asked, getting out of the car.

"You did it last time," Elliot said, "So, uh, I guess I'll do it." He led her up the steps to the door. The house was less than a block away from Elliot's old house, and he kept stealing sidelong glances at it, bitter that he was still paying for it and didn't live in it.

Olivia knocked on the door, and as they heard the lock unlatch, she and Elliot held up their badges. "You're on," Olivia whispered.

"Excuse me," Elliot said as the door opened, "I'm Detective Stabler and this…" he stopped, noticing who had answered the door.

"I know who you are, Elliot," the woman said, snidely. "What are you two doing here?"

"We need to speak to Daniel McMannis," Elliot said, his voice suddenly cold. "What are you doing here, Kathy?"

Kathy smirked. "The same thing I've been doing here, every day for the last year," she said, narrowing her eyes. "Watching his son," she said, cocking her head to the left when Elliot seemed to not really care. "And yes, Elliot, I'm sleeping with him." She still got no discernable reaction from him, so she added, "But it didn't happen until you left."

"Wait, I left? I could have sworn you kicked me out!" Elliot yelled.

"You weren't supposed to stay gone, Elliot!" Kathy fumed. "You were supposed to come home."

Elliot scoffed. "Kathy, when you kicked me out, I did go home," he spat. "Where's McMannis?"

"What do you mean you went home?" Kathy asked, ignoring his question. "You went to Olivia's, Elliot. Don't tell me you consider her your fucking 'home!' I knew you would fuck her the minute it wasn't considered adultery!"

"Hi," Olivia said, getting irritated, making a wild hand gesture. "Standing right here! Can you just tell us where McMannis is? We really have to…"

"Who the fuck was talking to you, bitch?" Kathy spat, glaring at Olivia.

Olivia's head jerked back and she scoffed. "Wow. Okay."

"Kathy!" Elliot yelled, throwing his arm out to stop Olivia from pouncing on his ex-wife, "Just tell us where he is!"

Kathy took a breath and gritted her teeth. "He is at work, at Henshall and Langan." Her eyes dropped as she moved to close the door and she stopped. "What the fuck is that?"

Elliot smirked. "It's an engagement ring, Kathy."

"You're getting married?" Kathy asked Olivia, her shoulders dropping and her eyes softening. "So you and Elliot didn't…I was wrong?"

Olivia tilted her head. "You were wrong, Kathy. Elliot never cheated on you. Not once. But, uh, he did make a move as soon as he could. A big one," she said, wiggling her fingers.

"No," Kathy laughed. "Elliot, you haven't been…you've only been gone for…are you serious?"

Elliot nodded. "Nice rock, right?" he asked, linking his hand with Olivia's. "Aren't you gonna congratulate us?"

"Congratulations," Kathy said, stunned. "Uh, why do you need to talk to Danny?"

Elliot shook his head. "Can't tell you that, Kathy. Unless you're a spouse, family member, or legal…"

"Elliot," Kathy interrupted, "Please."

"He's a suspect in a few of our open cases," Elliot said with a sigh, dropping Olivia's hand.

Kathy's eyes widened. "What cases?"

"Kathy," Elliot sighed, rolling his eyes. "I can't disclose that…"

"Elliot!" Kathy yelled, panicking, "I know what you two do for a living, and I need to know if I'm dating a rapist."

Olivia put a hand on Elliot's shoulder, squeezing a bit. "We have evidence that tells us you are, Kathy. I'm sorry." She met the blonde's eyes and said, "You and his son should come down to the station. You'll be safe there."

"You don't really think he'd hurt his own son," Kathy said, accusatorily. "Or me?"

"We've seen it before, Kathy," Olivia confirmed. "More times than you care to know. Just get him in the car. Take him down there. You'll both be fine."

Kathy nodded once, looked at Olivia's hand draped over Elliot's shoulder, cringed, then slammed the door.

"That was a surprise," Olivia said, turning and heading down the steps.

Elliot made a weird honking noise.

"What the fuck kinda noise was that?" Olivia said, craning her neck over her shoulder at him. "Are you all right?"

Elliot was bent over, laughing hysterically. "When she called you a bitch, Livvy, I thought you were gonna rip her head off. The look on your face! And when you cracked your knuckles, I swear to God, I had half a mind to let you do it." He chuckled, jogging down the stairs to meet her. He took a deep breath and said, "Henshall and Langan. Should have known."

"You did," Olivia said, smirking as she was getting into the car. "You read the file."

"Think Trevor'll play nice with us, tonight?" Elliot asked, starting the car.

Olivia shrugged. "Flirt with him a little, El. He'll do anything you want."

"I hate you," he said, laughing.

"Oh, that sucks," Olivia said, pouting. "You want the ring back, then?"

Elliot smacked her in the arm, playfully, and said, "Shut up."

* * *

Trevor met them in the lobby of his law firm, with a smile and some coffee. "Olivia, Stabler," he said, shaking each of their hands.

Olivia smirked. "That's got a nice ring to it, huh?" she asked, nudging Elliot.

"What does?" Trevor asked.

"Olivia Stabler," Olivia said, snickering. She saw the confounded look on Trevor's face, then quickly changed the subject. "Listen, Trev, we're here on business. We need to talk to Daniel McMannis. Can you get him down here for us?"

"Sure," Trevor said, picking up a phone over the reception desk. "What is this about?"

"Wanted for questioning," Elliot said, sipping his coffee. "Wow, this is really good."

"You're just used to Munch's mud," Olivia said, shaking her head with a laugh.

Trevor hung up the phone and said, "He'll be right down. Questioning for what?"

"Suspect in a series of rapes," Elliot said, unable to put his coffee down.

Trevor furrowed his brow. "Women?"

"No, Trev, feral cats," Olivia said, sarcastically.

"Well, Olivia, uh, I doubt Daniel is your guy," Trevor said, raising an eyebrow.

Olivia's eyes widened. "Oh, no," she said, her whole body going rigid. "Trevor, you're not…"

"Shh!" Trevor hushed, looking around quickly. "We'd be in just as much shit as you and Stabler would be if anyone found out," he spat in a whisper. "Yes, yes we are."

Elliot finally dropped his cup onto the reception desk. "Langan, buddy, you should probably come down to the station, too. Someone's there who you really need to talk to."

"Who?" Trevor asked, folding his arms.

"His girlfriend," Elliot said, rubbing his forehead. "And his son."

Trevor's eyes widened. "Wait, he has a girlfriend…and a son?"

Daniel McMannis, appearing behind Trevor, sighed. "Yes," he said, dejectedly. "I do." He looked at Olivia and Elliot, nodded, and said, "It's about time you two showed up."

**A/N: Woah, huh? Next chapter: Alex forces Olivia to explain that ring, Kathy handles the news, and we get McMannis's real story. And what happens when going backwards so quickly starts to make Olivia sick to her stomach? Review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: McMannis explains his double-life, Alex reacts to the ring, and someone has the flu.**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. TStabler© owns the narrative, dialogue and plot of this story.**

"I told you everything," McMannis said, folding his arms.

Elliot shook his head. "But you didn't tell us why..."

"That doesn't matter," Alex Cabot yelled, bursting into the interrogation room. "You can find that out in court. I'm arraigning him in the morning, so take him down to holding. This interview is over, Stabler. We got what we need."

Olivia narrowed her eyes at Alex. "What the hell, Cabot?"

"Do it, Benson," Alex spat.

Olivia and Elliot shared a look, and Elliot silently escorted McMannis out. Olivia then eyeballed Alex suspiciously. "Is this because Elliot knows who gave me the ring, and you don't? You're bossing us around and interfering with an interrogation because you feel like I went over your head with this?"

"No, Olivia," Alex said, folding her arms. "I'm bossing you around because that's my job. To get the conviction. You got the confession, you heard him claim that he manipulated everyone in his life because they all had something he wanted, and you heard him say he chose Kathy and Trevor to get to you and Stabler. He wanted to get caught, and we caught him. You don't need the reasons." Alex walked out of the interrogation room, with Olivia close behind her.

"You know we need the reasons, Cabot," Olivia said, following Alex into the bullpen.

Alex turned around and looked into Olivia's eyes. "Sometimes, Olivia, you don't get the explanation right away. Sometimes you have to wait until everyone else finds out," she said, vilely.

Olivia sighed. "Come here," she said, pulling her out into the hallway. "I didn't tell you who gave me the ring, because I really can't tell anybody, Alex! He asked me to marry him before we were even...I really shouldn't even be with him, Al."

"All I'm asking, Olivia, is that you keep me involved with your life. I've known you for years, and when I took this job, it was to spend more time with you, professionally and personally. I feel like I have no idea what's going on with you anymore, and Stabler's sucking you away from everyone. How the hell did he even let you out of his sight long enough to go on a single date this guy?"

"He didn't," Olivia said, shrugging. "Alex, the guy I've been seeing, the man who gave me this ring, the man I'm gonna marry, it's..."

"Benson," Cragen called out into the hallway.

Alex yelled, "Oh! You couldn't wait five secdonds?"

Cragen folded his arms. "I was only gonna tell her she can find her partner and they could go the hell home. What is up your ass, Cabot?"

"Nothing," Alex said, "Sorry, Sir."

Cragen shook his head and walked back into the squadroom just as Trevor, Kathy, and McMannis's son came out. Trevor stopped in the hallway and hugged Olivia. "If you need me to testify, I will. You have my statement. I can't believe he was just using me for an alibi, legal representation, and to get to you."

"How do you think I feel?" Kathy said, obviously pissed off. "Not only do I find out my ex-husband is already engaged to the one person I had been praying he'd never be with, but my new boyfriend was only sleeping with me to get their attention!" She glared at Olivia and said, "You know he's allergic to shellfish, and if he eats too much chocolate he..."

"Becomes a horny teenager, I know," Olivia said, nodding and smirking.

Kathy looked shocked. "I was gonna say he gets pissy and gets a headache."

"That's because I didn't wanna sleep with _you_, Kathy," Elliot said, matter-of-factly as he came back down the hall. "And yeah, Liv knows everything I'm allergic to, how I like my coffee, and she does this really amazing thing with her tongue when..."

"Okay!" Kathy yelled. "Thank you!"

Elliot chuckled. "She can tie cherry stems with it, is what I was gonna say there. You have a dirty mind, Kathy."

"Whatever. I'm taking Sean to his mother, you've got my statement." Kathy shook her head and stormed off down the hall.

Alex looked at Olivia, wide-eyed. "You're engaged...to...to Stabler?" she asked, her breath shallow, her heart beating rapidly. "That...that's not...I can't talk you out of that! How am I supposed to talk you out of that?"

"Talk me out of...Alex, why would you need to talk me out of it?" Olivia asked, confused. "I thought you'd be happy! You won the fucking bet!"

"Olivia," Alex said, running a hand down her face, "I made that bet hoping I would never win. How drunk were you?" she asked, gripping both of Olivia's shoulders.

Olivia shook her head and blinked rapidly. "What? We weren't drunk!"

"This is real? You're really going through with this?" Alex asked, her hand over her heart.

Elliot, just as confused as Olivia, said, "Yes. We are. And we're both incredibly happy about it, so, uh, thanks for sharing in our joy here, Alex."

"I'm not...I'm not happy," Alex said, shaking her head. She looked at Trevor, who smiled very sadly and shrugged. Then she ran off down the hall.

"What the hell was that about?" Olivia asked, watching Alex run through the stairwell door.

Trevor cleared his throat. "Olivia, how long have you known Alex?"

"We went to college together," Olivia said, "So quite a while."

"Okay," Trevor said, holding out a hand. "When you told her you were moving back to New York City to go to the police academy, what did she do?"

Olivia blinked, twice, and looked at Trevor. "She applied to NYU for post-grad law and moved here with me."

"Okay," Trevor said, dragging out the "ay" a bit for emphasis. "And when you got your gold shield, moving up in the ranks, and willingly chose to work sex crimes, what did she do?"

"She, uh, she put in a request to work as the department's A.D.A," Olivia said, getting a horrible nauseous feeling in her stomach. "Oh, my God. How could I have not seen this?"

Trevor laughed. "She didn't want you to, Olivia. She never told you, and she wasn't going to. Not until she had the slightest inclination that you'd be responsive. She knew the only man who could get you and keep you was Stabler. She's been petrified of this for the last year and three months."

"Wow, Liv, honey," Elliot said, putting a hand to her cheek. "You don't look so good."

"I'm gonna be sick," Olivia said, rushing into the nearest bathroom.

Trevor and Elliot folded their arms and waited, in awkward silence. Elliot broke it. "Just to be clear, all of that was about Alex having a raging crush on Olivia, right?"

"Yeah," Trevor said, nodding.

"Just checking," Elliot said, returning his nod.

* * *

Elliot changed Olivia into pajamas, after taking a hot shower with her, and got her settled in their bed. "You're still hot," he said, his hand resting on her forehead.

"And you're still sexy," Olivia said, trying to joke but failing since she was running a fever and felt like death.

"Thank you," Elliot laughed. "Drink this," he said, handing her a little plastic cup of green liquid.

Olivia took it, downed it, then gagged and made a face. "I'm already dying, El! I don't need you trying to kill me! What the hell was that?"

"Cold and flu medicine," he said, putting the cup next to the bottle. He climbed into the bed and turned out the light, then set the alarm on the bedside clock. "I'm waking you up in four hours to take more of it, so..."

"No," Olivia said, groaning. "Just let me die," she said, collapsing onto him.

Elliot laughed again. "Drama-Queen McGee, you are not gonna die," he said, kissing her scalding head. "Go to sleep, baby. Just rest."

"Okay," Olivia sighed, curling up with him. Suddenly, she popped up and said, "Not okay!" She leaped out of the bed and ran into the bathroom.

Elliot ran in after her and got to her before she got sick. He held her hair back and put a cold, wet cloth on her neck as she heaved over the toilet. "Melinda is sure this is just a stomach bug, right?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Olivia nodded, trying to catch her breath. "She ran a test, El. It was negative. She thinks it could just be food poisoning since you and Maureen aren't sick."

"Well what did you eat that I didn't?" Elliot asked. "You had tuna from the deli, could that have done it?"

"Maybe," Olivia said. "Oh, Christ," she cried, heaving over the bowl again.

Elliot rubbed her back and shoulders and tried to soothe her. "Okay, baby, you're staying home tomorrow. We both are."

Olivia shook her head. "Can't do that, El. It'll look suspicious if..."

"Livvy, Cragen knows I'm staying with you, and he knows I'd never let you stay home like this by yourself, even if I wasn't staying here," Elliot explained.

"Fine," Olivia said, breathing deeply, as she flushed the toilet. She pushed herself to her feet, with Elliot's help, and brushed her teeth, rinsing with mouthwash. "I'm too sick to argue with you."

Elliot chuckled and supported her as they walked back to the bed. He got her settled, then crawled in beside her. He wrapped her in his arms and brushed her hair back, kissing her forehead, until she fell asleep. The night was spent with Olivia getting up every hour or so to be sick in the bathroom, taking medicine, and falling back to sleep in Elliot's arms. Finally, at six in the morning, she decided it was pointless to go back to sleep. Elliot got up with her and called Cragen, then he made Olivia some dry toast and tea. "Here, baby," he said, carrying the plate and cup to her.

"Thank you," she said, resting her head on his shoulder as he sat on the couch beside her. He had just found a decent movie on TV and wrapped them in a blanket when there was a knock on the door. Olivia groaned. "I'm too comfortable for either of us to move, El."

"I'll get it, Mom," Maureen said, yawning, coming out of her room. She opened the door and tilted her head. "Can I help you?"

"Um, do I have the right apartment?" the woman asked as she stared questioningly at Maureen.

"Depends," Maureen said with another yawn. "You want the Stablers?"

Alex closed her eyes, swallowed, and opened them again. "The Stablers?"

Maureen nodded. "Yeah, 'cause that's us. If that's not who you're looking for..."

Alex interrupted her. "No, uh, it is. I guess you're Maureen?"

"Mo, honey, who is it?" Elliot called from the couch.

"Some blonde lady in a suit who freaked when I told her this was the Stabler residence," Maureen said, yawning, shuffling back into the apartment with Alex behind her. She plodded groggily back into her room as Alex stood in the middle of the rug awkwardly.

"I didn't know your daughter was staying here, Stabler. She's very pretty. Hi, by the way," Alex said, her head hung a bit low. "I heard you were sick, Olivia, so, uh, I brought you some soup."

Olivia smiled, even though she felt like shit, and said, "Thank you, Al. That's sweet of you."

"I just wanted to apologize for the way I reacted to your news yesterday," Alex said, sitting on the armchair. "It wasn't a very friendly thing to do and you are my best friend. I should be...I am happy for you. I knew this would happen, eventually, but I didn't even know you two were dating so I was just completely floored."

"We aren't," Elliot said. "We weren't, Alex. I just, uh, kind of asked her out of nowhere. Our first real date was the skydiving," he informed her, sipping his coffee.

Alex nodded. "See, that's what gets me. I didn't have time to prepare, to process...this," she said, gesturing to the two of them. "But I am happy for you. Both of you. And I wanted you to know that."

"Thanks, Alex. That means a lot to me," Olivia said, nodding with a real smile.

Alex smiled back and headed for the door. She turned over her shoulder and said, "Stabler, if you ever hurt her, I will kill you." She walked through the door, closing it behind her, before Elliot could respond.

Elliot looked at Olivia and sighed as he kissed her forehead. They both knew how much Alex really meant it. Olivia nuzzled into Elliot's embrace and just as she was about to drift off to sleep again, she popped up quickly.

Elliot brushed her hair back as he asked, "What is it, baby? You need to go throw..."

"No," Olivia interrupted, shaking her head. "I think Maureen just called me 'Mom."

**A/N: Will Alex get over Olivia? What happens when Trevor has to defend someone Olivia and Elliot have solid evidence against? And is Kathy really accepting this without a problem? Review, please?**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Elliot spends the day taking care of Olivia, but their night is filled with complications.**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. TStabler© owns the narrative, dialogue and plot of this story.**

Elliot cleaned the entire apartment, did the laundry, and had dinner started in the slow-cooker. He felt accomplished, but he also felt horrible. The love of his life was lying on the couch, miserable. He had made her eight cups of tea, she'd eaten the soup Alex had left for her, and she was on her second bottle of flu medicine, and she was still not feeling any better. She'd been asleep since seven-thirty, and he needed to wake her up to take more blue elixir, even though it pained him to do so.

He walked over to the couch and looked down at her. He brushed the hair out of her eyes, smiling. She was so beautiful. He placed a soft kiss to each one of her eyelids and the end of her nose, and he smirked when he saw a smile come to her lips.

"Livvy," Elliot called, waking her up. "Livvy, baby, you have to take…" Her eyes shot open and she ran into the bathroom. Elliot ran in, hot on her heels, refusing to let her be sick without him. "Oh, honey. I am so sorry, kitten," he murmured as he held her hair back for her.

"You didn't do this," she said, sickly. She reached up and flushed, grabbed the mouthwash, and leaned back against the wall of the bathroom. "I'm just gonna stay here for a minute," she said, letting her head drop to his shoulder.

Elliot chuckled. "You go right ahead, baby," he told her, brushing her head back.

"How long was I asleep this time?" she asked, opening the bottle of freshmint liquid.

"The whole four hours," Elliot said, smiling. "We're making progress."

"Maureen left then," Olivia said, nodding and taking a swig of mouthwash.

Elliot nodded. "Yeah, honey. She's gone. She said she's gonna call during lunch to see how you are, and she loves you," he said, kissing her forehead. "You don't feel warm anymore," he remarked. "That's good news."

Olivia nodded as she leaned over and spit the mouthwash into the toilet. "I feel a lot better, actually."

"Good," Elliot said, smirking. "How much better?"

Olivia raised an eyebrow at him and smirked back at him. "Are you serious right now? I have been puking my guts out all night, I look like that possessed chick from that exorcism movie, and you really wanna go there right now?"

Elliot's eyes narrowed. "You look beautiful, Livvy," he said. "And Doctor Elliot thinks a good roll in the hay is just what you need to get some color back in your cheeks."

"I think Doctor Elliot's in need of a good doctor himself," Olivia laughed, watching Elliot crawl closer to her. "Go away!" she yelped, laughing.

"See, you're already starting to seem more energetic," Elliot teased, placing his hands on her waist.

"You goofball," Olivia cried, hitting his arms. "Can we at least use the bed? We're on the bathroom floor!"

Elliot pulled his shirt over his head and leaned over, kissing her on the lips, and whispered, "It's completely sterile, Livvy. I've been disinfecting it all night." He kissed her again, tasting nothing but pure Olivia and minty freshness, and his hands pulled down her flannel pants in one smooth swish. Olivia chuckled against his lips, and he pulled away from the kiss and peered into her eyes. "What's so funny?" he asked, a smile playing at his own lips.

"I love you," she said, laughing.

"And that's funny?" Elliot said, tilting his head, as his hands skimmed up beneath her pajama top, lifting it off.

Olivia, still chuckling, said, "El, you make me incredibly happy. Do you see where we are? I have had the night from hell, and you've been so amazing. You took care of me, El, and the minute I start to feel better, you pounce on me like a rabid tiger. In the fucking bathroom! I'm not laughing because it's funny, I'm laughing because this is what the rest of my life is gonna be like, and I'm happy."

"Yeah," Elliot said with a small chuckle of his own. "The rest of your life, Livvy. Our lives, actually. I'm gonna spend the rest of my life making you smile and laugh, and moan," he said, grazing his thumbs over her nipples.

Olivia moaned his name, softly, and her eyes fluttered shut.

"Yeah. Just like that, Livvy," Elliot said, bending his head to kiss her again. "Our lives are going to be perfect, baby."

* * *

"Stabler," Elliot barked into his phone. He and Olivia had finally made it to the bed, and they had just finished round three, when the phone rang. "Whoa, what? How? Does he know that we have…okay, no, we'll be right there. She's feeling a lot better actually. No, uh, she's still in bed, just feeling better. I got it, yeah." He snapped his phone shut and shot out of the bed. "Baby, we gotta go down to the station."

Olivia looked a little queasy as she said, "We have a case? I don't think I can look at a dead…"

"No, honey," Elliot interrupted. "Langan is defending Carter."

Olivia sat up, stunned. "What?" she spat. "We have a confession, his prints on the knife, his DNA all over…"

"I know," Elliot interrupted again, pulling on a pair of jeans. "Langan is filing a motion to suppress all evidence, and he wants the confession thrown out. He's claiming we coerced the damn thing out of Carter."

Olivia got out of the bed and found her own clothes, dressing slowly since she was still a little weak, and endless hours of sex hadn't really helped. "How could he do this to us? I mean, I know he's just doing his job, but…"

"I get what you're saying, kitten," Elliot said, throwing on a tee shirt. "I'll call Mo from the car. She should be home soon, and I don't want her to…"

They heard the door open before Elliot finished his sentence. "Mom? Dad?" Maureen yelled from the other room.

Elliot ran into the living room and looked at his daughter. "Mo, honey, Liv and I…"

"Mom," Maureen corrected.

Elliot smiled softly at her. "Okay," he said. "Mom and I have to go down to the station. I want you to lock the door, don't open it for anyone."

"Can't I just come with you?" Maureen asked, hopeful.

Olivia walked in, then, and looked at Maureen, who smiled brightly at her.

"Mom, you're up! Felling better?" Maureen asked, hugging her.

"Yeah," Olivia said, sighing, still unable to believe she was being referred to as "Mom."

Maureen looked up at her and said, "Good. Can I come with you and Dad? I don't wanna stay here by myself."

"Um, sure," Olivia said, with a small nod. "But you have to stay upstairs in the lounge."

"Cool!" Maureen said with a smile, then turned to open the door, leading her father and Olivia out of the apartment.

* * *

Judge Donnelly was sitting behind the metal table, her fingers squeezing the bridge of her nose and her eyes squeezed shut. "Miss Cabot," she said, wearily. "You have brought me to your detectives and I have heard their little schpiel. Mister Langan, why, on Earth, are you handing me all of these motions of suppression without due cause?"

Trevor looked nervously at Olivia, who looked sick, and then at Elliot, who looked ready to kill him. "Your Honor," he said, clearing his throat, "My client believes that Detectives Benson and Stabler used excessive force in their initial interrogation, and he admitted to things he did not due out of fear and…"

"That is such shit, and you know it Langan!" Elliot yelled.

Olivia wavered slightly. "I don't feel so good," she mumbled, then plopped into the chair behind her.

"I'm inclined to side with Detective Stabler on this one, Langan," Donnelly said. "This does feel like the world's largest crock of shit. Why, then, should I throw out the evidence? And the DNA?"

"The, uh, knife," Trevor began, nervously looking at Olivia, who had gone quite pale, "Was seized without a warrant, Your Honor."

Elliot scoffed. "We already had the guy, Langan! The knife was in his pocket when we arrested him, Liz, so we didn't need a warrant!"

"Detective Stabler seems to win on that one, too, Mister Langan," Donnelly said.

Trevor broke his professional stance and ran over to the chair Olivia had been sitting in, just in time to catch her as she fell over. "Olivia!" he yelled. "What's wrong with her?" he asked, looking up at Elliot.

Elliot turned, wide-eyed, and knelt down beside Olivia. "She has a stomach-bug. She was only just starting to feel better when…" he paused, as Olivia's eyes fluttered open. "Hey, honey," he whispered. "Welcome back," he said, smiling at her.

"Thanks," she said, rolling her head up. "Where did I go, exactly?"

Alex, panic-stricken, said, "You, uh, you fainted. I think."

"Did I?" Olivia asked. "Why?"

Trevor sighed. "Because of me. I'm sorry, Olivia. I can't do this. I know everything I handed you was a complete fabrication. I have to listen to, and do what's best for my client, you understand that, right?"

Olivia sat up and looked at him. "Of course, Trev," she said, nodding. "I know this isn't personal."

"No," Trevor said, "But my client is making it personal," he whispered to her and Elliot. "That's what this is about. He's holding a grudge. A big one. He wants you two, and he wants you badly."

Olivia looked at Elliot, smirked at him, and then looked back at Trevor. "Well, I think you have a legal obligation to give him some very good advice, in his best interest, of course."

"I do," Trevor said. He stood up and looked at Donnelly and said, "Your Honor, do what you have to do, I will understand."

Donnelly smiled. "I'm glad you'll understand, Mister Langan, because none of what you handed me is based on any kind of logic. The evidence, and the confession, remain standing. I will see you all in court."

They all filed out into the squadroom, Trevor apologized to Elliot and Olivia and walked hurriedly down the hall, and Judge Donnelly walked into Cragen's office. Alex turned to Olivia and pulled her into a tight hug. "Are you okay? Oh, my God! I was so scared! I couldn't move! I couldn't even breathe!"

"I'm fine, Al," Olivia said, smiling. "I just, uh, got a little dizzy. But, I'm fine."

Alex narrowed her eyes. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" She looked at Elliot, who was smirking. "That's why you didn't panic as much as you should have, Stabler, you knew what was gonna happen. You wanted Trevor to feel like shit so he would tell you why he…oh, you two are good."

"Yep," Elliot said, smugly. "And, Alex," he added quickly. "I didn't get to tell you this morning. I will never, ever, hurt her. You know that."

Alex nodded, forcing a smile at him. "I know. That's why I hate you so much, Stabler. You love her as much as I do, and you're the only person in the world who could take her away from me. And you did."

"Al," Olivia said, sadly. "He didn't…"

"No, Olly," Alex said, calling her a name she hadn't used in years. "He did. I'm happy for you, really. I should have never let it go this far, or go on this long. I want you to be happy, and you're happy with him," she explained, tears springing up behind her glasses. "If I don't get to be your maid of honor, though, then I'm gonna be pissed."

Olivia laughed, trying not to cry herself. "You know you are," she said, hugging her friend. "It's just, um, gonna be a very, very long engagement. Since, ya know, we can't tell anybody about this."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that," Cragen's voice said, sounding menacing.

Olivia, Elliot and Alex, turned to face Cragen, who was standing next to a chuckling, smiling, Judge Donnelly. "Uh, worry about what, Cap?" Elliot asked.

"How you're gonna tell me about your engagement," he said, folding his arms. "I just got off the phone with Kathy. She told me all about it."

**A/N: What did Kathy say? Is Cragen pissed? Why is Donnelly laughing? And if they're still moving backwards, what happens next? And has Alex really accepted it, or is she going to make her move? Stay tuned! **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: What did Kathy say to Cragen? Will a night out with their friends make them take a step...forward? And when Alex gets drunk, will she make a huge mistake?**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. TStabler© owns the narrative, dialogue and plot of this story.**

"Relax," Cragen said, looking at Olivia who looked like a deer caught in headlights. "She thought I already knew. She just wanted me to make sure I took her off of your insurance and removed her as a beneficiary on your pension, changed all of your emergency contact info, and things like that. I didn't have the heart to tell her that Olivia was already your emergency contact. And medical proxy. And..."

"Okay, Cap," Elliot said, pressing his lips together in an embarrassed smile. "Thanks."

Cragen smirked and folded his arms. "Why didn't you tell me first? You know what this means, don't you?"

"Uh, yeah," Elliot said.

Olivia took a deep breath and looked into Elliot's eyes. Her heart was breaking. "Christ," she mumbled. She took his hand in hers, letting out the breath she was holding. "I don't mind listening to Munch's dumbass theories. You take Fin. He's still new, but you'll be less pissy with him."

"No, Liv, you can't trust Munch to watch your back the way I know Fin will. You take Fin," Elliot told her. "I'll just learn to tune Munch out. It can't be that hard. If he gets too annoying I'll...I dunno...growl at him or something."

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Cragen asked, his brow furrowed.

Elliot and Olivia looked at Cragen, their eyes wide, as Liz Donnelly stopped chuckling and burst into full-on hysterical laughter.

Elliot panicked. "We...we need to...oh, shit. He's gonna make one of transfer completely!" he spat, looking at Olivia, fear in his eyes.

"Okay," Olivia said, looking down for a moment. "I'll just, uh, I'll go to Computer Crimes. Safe. Secure. One floor away..."

"Liv, you'd hate that!" Elliot said, interrupting. "You need to work with people. You're too good with victims. They need you here. I'll, uh, I'll move. Homicide always needs someone, right?"

Cragen's jaw dropped. "Will you two cut it the fuck out?" he yelled. "No one is making you transfer, and no one is splitting you up! I was going to say that this means I owe Donnelly two-hundred bucks. That's why she's laughing like a fucking hyena."

"What?" Olivia asked, her heart not beating and her eyes unable to focus. She wasn't sure if it was her flu or the shock she'd just had.

"Liz and I bet on you two, a long time ago," Cragen said. "She bet that you'd be able to get engaged before I even knew you were dating, and I bet her that you'd be smart enough to tell me the minute anything got personal with you. I lost."

Elliot snickered, "Uh, Cap, actually..."

"Shut up," Cragen spat. "It also means you need to have an engagement party. A big one. And we're gonna rub Tuckers rat-like nose in this until all he can smell is the stink of defeat."

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Uh, you okay, Cap?"

"Uh, yeah," Cragen said. "I just really can't wait to prove to Tucker that SVU's new fraternization policy isn't ridiculous."

"I'm so confused," Elliot said, running a hand down his face.

Donnelly spoke up. "Stabler, when Benson became your partner, Captain Cragen knew, immediately, that it wouldn't take long until you fell in love. He, with my help of course, changed the department's policy on fraternization last month. Tucker has been on his case about it since the paperwork landed on his desk, but Cragen wouldn't back down. He told Tucker that the new rules existed for a reason, and they wouldn't cause a problem. He, uh, didn't think this would happen so soon, though. You've only been partners for a year."

"A year and four months," Olivia corrected. "Not that I'm keeping track or anything."

Elliot chuckled. "So, we've been giving ourselves heart-attacks every time you called, or showed up at the apartment, for nothing?"

Cragen laughed. "No, I was purposely making you think you'd be in trouble. I wanted to force you to tell me, Elliot. But, now that I know, I think we should celebrate. Finnerty's, down the street, after work?"

"Cap, uh, Liv probably shouldn't be out, especially in a bar. She's still sick," Elliot said, concerned.

Olivia looked at him. "El, I can be in the bar without drinking. I'm not feeling too sick to be with you and our friends, and I'm sure they'll have water," she said, chuckling.

"I'm just worried about you," he said, to her, softly. His forhead dropped to hers and they became lost in their own sweet conversation.

Cragen tilted his head and smiled. He knew how in love they were, and he knew that, as long as they stayed together, the unit would work better than ever with his best team now stronger than ever. He had a twinge of fear, though, of what would happen if they ever broke up. It would not only destroy his unit and his best detectives, it would destroy _him_. As he watched them whisper to each other with such love, he figured out that that would never happen.

* * *

"Okay," Munch said, raising a shot glass. "How 'bout the Martino case. You two attacked him in that interrogation," he noted. "And you made everyone watching terrified of the both of you. We all knew, then, that Stabler had really rubbed off on you, Benson."

The group laughed, taking their shots. Olivia sipped her non-alcoholic lemonade, afraid of liquor making her sick again, and chuckled. Fin looked over to them and raised his shot glass. "I got one," he said. "My first trip to the morgue with these two, man. Stabler told me not to be afraid if the body moved. He called it post-mortem-muscle-contraction. Then Benson, the gem that she is, went to examine the girl's wrists and she jumped and gasped and shouted, 'She moved!', then I screamed like a little girl. Of course, the body didn't move, she was just messin' with me, but I knew, after I caught my breath, that it was their way of welcoming me to the club."

Elliot chuckled, pulling Olivia closer to him, and he kissed her. "No hard feelings, Fin," he said.

"Of course not, bro," Fin said, taking his shot.

"I got one," Alex said, raising her glass. "When Benson first transferred, two weeks into the job, she started going out with a guy named Lou."

"Oh, my God," Olivia said, shocked. "Alex, don't..."

"No, Olivia," Alex interrupted with a chuckle. "I think your new fiancée should hear this. So, Lou was hot, right? Like, underwear model hot. They went out for a few months, and then Olivia dumped him. She came to my place, and we talked. I asked her why she broke up with him, but of course on the inside I was doing a little happy dance, and she said that there was something wrong with his eyes. Now, being who I am, even I thought the man had gorgeous eyes, and that is saying something, so I asked what the hell was wrong with them. She said they weren't blue. So I asked her, why the hell do his eyes need to be blue?"

Olivia ran a hand over her face and shook her head. "I can not believe you are doing this, Alex," she said.

"Shh," Elliot whispered to her. "It's okay, baby. I like this story," he said, smirking at her. She looked up at him and smirked back. "Go on, Alex," Elliot said, sipping his beer.

Alex chuckled, taking another shot. "She told me that she'd already fallen in love with someone, and they had these gorgeous blue eyes, and she couldn't have that person, so she needed to be with someone who had blue eyes so that she could pretend..."

"Oh, God, Liv," Elliot said, looking at her. "Is that why you went home with Cass..."

"Shut up, Elliot," Olivia snapped, embarrassed.

"Hey," Alex said, staring at them, "Can I finish?"

Olivia glared at her. "I really wish you wouldn't," she said.

"Too bad, Benson," Alex said. "So, anyway, for a split second, I thought she was talking about me. I was thrilled, so I asked her why she thought she couldn't have them. Why she thought it was so wrong. And she turned around, and she looked at me with tears in her big, beautiful, brown eyes, and she said, and I quote, 'He's already found the woman of his dreams. I'm in love with someone who will never love me the way I want him to. I'm in love with Elliot Stabler.' Two hearts broke that night." She took another shot, slamming the glass back down on the bar. "The next day, she told me to forget she said anything. She said she didn't mean it. She was just upset," Alex added, sounding angry. "Guess you weren't lying, huh? You are completely in love with him!"

Everyone was staring at her, catching the slips that hinted at her love for Olivia, and they were quiet. Fin cleared his throat. "That's actually a really romantic story, if you ignore the fact that Alex is completely bombed."

"Yeah," Elliot said, kissing Olivia sweetly, trying to calm her down. "It really was, Livvy," he whispered to her, using his personal pet name for her.

She looked up at him, tears in her eyes, and said, "I'm so sorry she did that."

"I love you," Elliot whispered to her, "And I love that you dumped that brown-eyes asshole becuase he wasn't me. Do you know how much I hated him?"

Olivia snickered and dropped her head into his chest. "I love you, too," she said.

Cragen, feeling the need to lighten the mood, raised his glass and said, "Well, my favorite memory of these two would have to be during the Holt case. It lasted four straight days, and these two workaholics didn't go home. Not once. The third night, they were at their desks, looking through photos and trying to make connections. They'd been fighting all day, and you could cut the tension in the air with a knife. I went into my office to make a phone call, and suddenly, I hear this low, slow music. I didn't leave my office, but I flipped up the blinds to see what was going on. They were out of their desks, in the middle of the squadroom, and they were dancing. I don't know how it happened, or why, but they were dancing. And that's when I knew that they weren't going to fall in love," he said, smiling. "They already had."

Olivia smiled at the memory, dropping her head to Elliot's shoulder. "He asked me to dance," she said. "He said it would be a welcome break, and we needed to relax, so we danced."

"It's a ritual now," Elliot said. "Ever since then, if a case lasts more than thirty hours, we take a dance break."

"Yeah. And we all enjoy watching you two do the Tango while we're trying to solve brutal rape and murder cases," Munch said. "Next time, do the Samba or Hula or something."

"What we're all trying to say, guys," Casey said, raising her glass, "Is that this is wonderful news, and we're very, very happy for you. Just, uh, try to slow it down, huh? Go on a few more dates before you get married," she joked as the glasses clinked in the air.

Alex mumbled something into her glass, ignoring the laughter and cheers. Trevor, the only person who really understood what she was going through, patted her back and said, "Alex, you gotta let it go."

"I can't!" Alex shouted, startling everyone. "I just...you don't get it," she said. She shook her head, got out of her seat and walked over to Olivia. She looked her friend in the eyes. There was a moment of unsure, thick tension, then suddenly Alex grabbed the sides of Olivia's face and pulled her toward her. She kissed her. There was no tongue, just lips against lips, for a few moments.

Olivia gasped and froze. She dug her nails into Elliot's leg, then hit his leg, begging for help.

"Yo, Alex, what the hell?" Elliot barked, trying to get her away from Olivia.

Alex didn't stop. She ignored Olivia's frantic, shocked, attempts to remove herself and get away. She finally pulled away from Olivia with a smacking sound, looked at her again, saw the amazement and surprise and bit of hurt in her eyes, and said, "I've wanted to do that for years, Olivia." She glanced over at Elliot and said, "I'll never forgive you for this, Stabler." She turned and walked away, stumbling a bit, as she pushed her way through the people and toward the door.

Trevor, feeling for her, said, "I'm gonna go with her. She needs someone to make sure she gets home in one piece, and I think it would be a bad idea if that person was you, tonight, Olivia."

"Yeah," Olivia said, still shocked.

"Thanks, Trev," Elliot said, shaking his hand.

Trevor nodded, then hugged Olivia. "Love you," he said. "Mean it!" he said in a high voice.

Olivia chuckled slightly at his attempt to cheer her up, then watched him run after Alex.

"What the hell was that?" Fin asked. "If that what Alex is like when she's drunk, we need to take her drinking more often. Casey, uh, what funky things do you do when you're drunk?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.

"I don't really know, but I know I don't hit on my very engaged best friend," she said, smacking Fin in the head.

"I'm not gonna lie," Munch said. "I know that was emotional, and embarrassing, and she was completely shitfaced. But, fuck, that was hot."

Olivia laughed, again, knowing her friends were only trying to make her forget what had just happened, but a part of her had broken. She didn't know what she was going to do when Alex sobered up, or how things were going to be between them now.

Elliot pulled Olivia closer, smoothing her hair back, and turned her face toward his, cupping her chin. "Are you okay?" he asked, searching her eyes for the truth just in case she was going to lie.

Olivia looked into his blue orbs and said, very softly, "No." She looked down at the gold band with the sparkling diamond on her finger, and wondered briefly if it was causing her to lose more than she was gaining. She looked back up at Elliot, their eyes meeting, and she knew, then, that it absolutely wasn't. She tilted her head up and kissed him, loving the way his eyes closed the moment before their lips touched, loving the way he moaned softly at the contact every time, and loving the way he loved her. She pulled away from him slowly and said, "But I will be." Suddenly her eyes widened and she sot up off the stool, running toward the bathroom.

Elliot followed her, not caring that he'd be running into a crowded ladies room, to be with her if she was gonna be sick. He held her hair back, as usual, and rubbed her neck and shoulders. "Aw, baby," he said softly. " How are you still sick? And on top of all of this other shit. I'm so sorry," he said, trying to soothe her.

"El, baby," she said as she flushed the toilet, "I told you, I'm gonna be okay." She walked, with him holding her hand, over to the sink to rinse her mouth out. She dropped his hand so she could wash up. She turned and looked at him, oblivious to the women staring at the man in the bathroom, and she kissed him tenderly. She pulled back and said, "As long as I have you, and Maureen, and our jobs are safe, I know I'm gonna be just fine." At least, she hoped.

**A/N: Oh, my! What's wrong with Liv? What is gonna happen when they see Alex in court the next day? Awkward! And Elliot takes his woman on another very interesting date!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Is Olivia feeling better? What does Alex say when she sobers up? And has the engagement affected their professional relationship? Nah! And where do they go on their adventurous second date?**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. TStabler© owns the narrative, dialogue and plot of this story.**

"What have we got?" Elliot asked, crawling under the crime scene tape and pulling on a latex glove.

Olivia, hunched over the body next to Melinda Warner, said, "Same thing we've got every night, Pinky."

"How come I'm Pinky? Are you calling me dumb, Brain?" Elliot teased.

"Yeah, I am," Olivia said, winking at him. "She was raped and beaten, and from what Melinda can tell, she was choked with this," she said, holding up a metal rod. "It was pressed against her neck until..." she paused, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

"Liv, you okay?" Elliot asked, his arms going around her to keep her steady.

Olivia nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Sorry. Still just a little woozy," she said, handing Elliot the evidence bag she'd dropped the rod into.

"You sure?" Elliot whispered to her, concerned.

"Yeah," Olivia said, smiling and nodding. "Let's just get this done, okay?" She turned to look down at the girl and cringed, shuddering, shaking away the churning in her stomach. "It's too early for this shit," she mumbled.

"No such thing, Liv," Elliot said, looking at the grounds around the body. "Not in this line of work."

Olivia shook her head. "This is a crowded street, El. I can't believe no one heard her scream."

Elliot chuckled, leaned into her, and whispered, "You know, I would love to hear a certain, sexy fiancée of mine scream. I'll make you, Livvy. Tonight. Loudly."

"Not when Maureen's home, and we are at work, Elliot!" Olivia chuckled, backhanding him in the arm. "Stop it," she spat with a smirk.

Elliot watched her get to work, unable to stop worrying about her or thinking about her naked and screaming, as he resumed working himself.

* * *

"Why do you always do that? You can't just fly off the fucking handle, Elliot!" Olivia yelled, walking into the bullpen.

Elliot walked in right behind her, yelling himself. "Oh, right, like you've never let a perp get to you? Bullshit, Olivia!"

"They get to me, El, but I don't throw them into the wall in their own home!" Olivia barked. She threw her hands up in the air as spat, "Now IAB is up our asses about police brutality, and you know Tucker's already gunning for us!"

Elliot narrowed his eyes and folded his arms. "Tucker can kiss my ass! We got the guy, didn't we?"

"Trouble in paradise?" a woman's voice asked, breaking them out of their bickering.

They looked at her and Olivia, again, had to suppress the urge to be sick. "No," Olivia said. "We always fight like this at work. It's not personal." She squeezed the bridge of her nose and plopped into her chair, trying to breathe. "How's your head, Alex?"

Alex chuckled. "Hurts like a bitch. Seriously, this is the worst hangover of my life. I, uh, guess I deserve it though." She walked toward Olivia and stood in front of her. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," she said. "I'm just nauseous and a little dizzy, now. Haven't really been sick since..." she paused, not willing to say, "you kissed me." She looked up and said, "Last night."

"Good, I'm glad," Alex said. "Trevor, uh, explained to me everything that I did and said, and I am so, so sorry. I know you made me promise never to tell Elliot that story, and I broke that promise. And then I kissed you which, most likely, embarrassed and angered both of you," she said, sending a worried glance at Elliot. "I'm sorry," she said, looking back at Olivia.

Olivia looked up and sighed. "Alex, you're my best friend. Well, next to Elliot. Don't want Grumpy over there to have a fit," she said with a laugh. "I'm not mad at you, I'm just hurt that I'm hurting you, and that you did what you did last night as a result of..."

"No," Alex interrupted. "Don't take the blame for this, Olivia. I should have told you about this a long time ago, then we could have laughed about it and moved on. I let it grow, and fester. Now, knowing you're really, really taken made me snap." She dropped her eyes, shook her head and said, "I'm really, really sorry. I want you to know that."

Olivia nodded. "I know that," she said. "I'm gonna need a little time to process all of this, Alex. I hope you can understand."

"I do," Alex said, nodding and trying to smile. "You have really soft lips, by the way."

"Yeah, she does," Elliot said, smirking. He was, at the moment, imagining her lips somewhere very special. He chuckled and shook his head.

Alex laughed a little then asked, "What were you two fighting about, by the way?"

"Elliot's violent temper," Olivia said.

Elliot sighed and shook his head. "Liv, he was...looking at you. Like he wanted to eat you."

"A lot of our perps look at me like that, El!" Olivia said, her eyes wide. "I'm a woman!"

Alex added, "A hot woman!"

"Please, don't help," Olivia said, chuckling at Alex. "They're always going to...no. No, no, no, you're not telling me...El, every time you've gotten rough with a perp, who didn't push your buttons and deserve it that is, it was because you caught them looking at me?"

Elliot bit his bottom lip and nodded. "I told you, Liv, I've loved you for a long time, and I got jealous of everyone who had a lewd thought about you, who wasn't me. And that includes Alex."

Alex's eyes widened and she smirked. "The feeling's mutual, Stabler. But, uh, you have nothing to worry about," she said. "I'm letting it go." Alex smiled at Olivia, nodded at Elliot and walked out, knowing she just lied to her best friend.

* * *

"Why won't you tell me where we're going?" Olivia asked, coming out of the bathroom in her towel.

Elliot's eyes darkened instantly as he looked at her. "I don't think we're going anywhere yet, baby," he declared, walking toward her, ripping the towel off of her, and pressing her against the wall.

"Jesus Christ!" Olivia chuckled.

Elliot crashed his lips into hers, trailing his hands down her still damp body. "Do you have any idea what you do to me?" he asked, running two fingers up her slit. "God, you're dripping, baby," he whispered in her ear.

"Well, I just took a fucking shower," Olivia said, gasping as his fingers pushed into her.

Elliot chuckled. "No, honey, you want me." He kissed her as his fingers thrust. "As much as I want you. You would do the same damn thing, wouldn't you? If some woman was leering at me the way those bastards always glare at you, you'd knock 'em through the fucking mirror, huh, Livvy?"

"God, El," Olivia moaned, wrapping her arms around him. "Probably, yeah," she whispered, answering him.

"I have plans for tonight, baby," Elliot whispered. "Big ones, but the night isn't gonna start until we're finished," he said, kissing her as soon as the words left his mouth. Olivia pulled on his pants, and he used his free hand to loosen his belt. Olivia yanked and they fell to the floor. She moaned in pleasure against his lips as her hands shoved down his briefs, and wrapped around his shaft. "Fuck, baby," he grunted, bucking into her hands. He pushed her hands away and removed his own, pushing his way into her, slowly, the rough and spontaneous sex against the wall suddenly turning loving and romantic.

"Oh, El," she said. It came out almost a whisper.

"Yeah, baby," Elliot whispered back, still moving slowly in and out of her. He picked up her left leg, wrapping it around his body as his lips met hers in a languid, deep kiss. "Livvy," he breathed against her skin. "Livvy, baby, I love you."

Olivia rolled her hips as he hit into her, finding new spots and causing new sensations for both of them, and she kissed him, moaning into his mouth. "I love you, too, El," she whispered, her nose rubbing against his. "Where's Maur..."

"Kathy's," he said, interrupting. "She went to dinner, holy shit, Livvy, and a movie with her mother. You don't have to be quiet," he told her. "I told you," he grunted, as he started moving faster, "That I'd make you scream tonight."

And scream she did. Loudly. Violently. An hour later, they were dressed and ready to go, though Olivia still had no idea where.

She follwed him out the door to her building, asking, "Are you sure I'm dressed..."

Elliot cut her off. "Livvy, baby, I told you. It's very casual, and you look hot in those jeans. Though, technically, they'll be coming off, so it doesn't really matter."

"Excuse me?" Olivia said, getting into the car. "I'm not taking these off for anyone but you."

"Exactly," Elliot said, smirking. "This is for me."

They drove for a few minutes, pulling into a spot on a brightly lit street lined with shops and restaurants. Elliot got out of the car, walked around to the passenger side, and opened Olivia's door, helping her out.

"Okay, where are we going, El?" Olivia asked, making a last ditch effort to get an answer.

"Right here," Elliot said, pushing open a door and pulling her through it.

Olivia looked around and gasped. "I don't think so!"

"Livvy, I promise, it doesn't hurt as much as you think it does. You don't have to get a big one," Elliot told her, pulling her toward the back wall.

"You're serious?" Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Elliot said. He pointed to something and said, "I'm getting this one, only it's, uh, not gonna say 'Mom."

Olivia looked at the intricate black and white drawing on the wall and tilted her head. "Well, what's it gonna say?" she asked, her heart beating a little faster. She knew what his answer was going to be.

Elliot turned to look at her, smiled, and said, "Olivia."

"What?" Olivia gasped softly. "El, that's...crazy."

"Livvy, you've seen me naked, honey. The only tattoos I have are of Jesus and the Marine Seal. That's it. Those are two things that are with me for life," Elliot said, peering into her eyes. "I want you, Livvy. For the rest of my life."

Olivia pulled him into a passionate kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and swooping one hand up to clutch the back of his head. She pulled away slowly, still resting her head against his and looking into his eyes. It was all she could do. She was speechless.

"Do this with me, baby," Elliot said, almost begging her.

Olivia kissed him again, nodded, and said, "Pick one."

**A/N: OMG! The couple that gets tattooed together, stays together! What does Elliot choose for Olivia? How was Maureen's day with Kathy? And who does Alex hook up with in an attempt to get over Olivia? It may surprise you!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: What did Elliot choose for Olivia's tattoo? How was Maureen's night with Kathy? And who does Alex hook up with, and is she trying to make Olivia jealous, or just uncomfortable?**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. TStabler© owns the narrative, dialogue and plot of this story.**

"Good morning," Olivia said cheerfully as she walked into the bullpen. Elliot, following her, smirked as he watched her hips swaying as she moved. He knew what was resting comfortably on her left hip, and just the thought of it turned him on immensely. He plopped into his chair and shook his head. It was definitely not the time to be thinking about the intricate black and white, swirling heart emblazoned with _his_ name that lived perilously close to her most intimate parts. Parts that he was imagining playing with right now.

"Yo, Stabler!" Fin barked, "You there, man?"

"Huh?" Elliot spat, turning his head.

Munch chuckled. "Man, I have been trying to talk to you for the last five minutes. What are you thinking about over there, cause if it's that interesting we should all hear about it."

"Nothing, nothing," Elliot said with a smirk. "What's up, Munch?"

Munch cleared his throat, picked up a file, and reached over, handing it to Elliot. "You're not gonna like it," he warned.

"Are you kidding? I thought we got this fucker yesterday!" Elliot said, thrusting the file into Olivia's waiting hands.

Fin shook his head. "Cabot wouldn't make the charges stick. She actually informed his lawyer that you coerced a confession outta him because you were pissed that he was oogling your partner."

"What?" Olivia spat. "Alex threw the case?"

Munch nodded. "Seems like it, doesn't it? Either way, you two have to go bag him on a whole new charge, talk to the latest vic, who is thankfully still alive, and don't fucking hit him this time. Don't give Cabot a reason to drop the charges again."

Elliot shook his head as he rose from his seat. "Son of a bitch," he said, waiting for Olivia.

"Daughter, in this case, El. Why would Alex..." Olivia stopped, looked across at Elliot and shook her head. "Un-fucking-believable," she said. "She's pissed, El. And now she's attacking us at work."

Elliot scoffed. "Bitch," he mumbled under his breath. "Let's go get this fucker, Liv. Then we'll come back and deal with Cabot."

"Fin," Olivia said, scratching at her hip, "Call Casey. She should be on this, at least until we figure out what Alex's damage is."

"You got it," Fin said, picking up the phone. "Oh, hey, Baby-Girl," he called, watching Olivia get out of her seat, "What's that?" He pointed to the white gauze peeking out of her pants, just under her shirt.

"Oh, uh," she mumbled, pulling her shirt down and ripping the bandage off of her tattoo, "It's a...thing. Bye, Fin." She pulled Elliot out of the squadroom, chuckling.

* * *

An hour and a half after they left, Maureen strolled in, carrying her duffle bag. "Uncle Munch?"

"Hey, Maur," Munch said, happy to see the girl, "What are you doing here?"

"_Kathy_ just dropped me off. Where are my parents?" Maureen asked, earning a surprised look from Munch and Fin.

Fin looked at her and raised his eyebrow. "Uh, you mean your pops and Olivia?"

"Those are my parents, yes," Maureen said, smirking.

"Out on call," Cragen said, coming out of his office. "What's wrong, Maur?"

"I hate Kathy," Maureen replied, tilting her head. "She's atrocious!"

Cragen chuckled. "That's why your dad left her, kid. What did she do?"

"All day, all night, all she did was tell me how horrible of a person Mom...Olivia...Mom is, and she kept trying to get me to move back in with her. She actually wanted me to call Olivia and tell her I hated her. Which I would never, ever do, by the way! You know she wants some judge named Donnelly to award her spousal support? For what?"

"Well," Munch said with a laugh, "Donnelly won't give it to her. She owes your dad and Benson too much to do that to them."

"Good," Maureen said, plopping into her father's chair.

"What's good?" Elliot asked, walking back into the bullpen. He immediately kissed Maureen on the top of her head, and ruffled her hair a bit.

Maureen glared at him and flattened out her hair, cicking her tongue at him. "Daddy, you know I hate that!" she yelled. "And it's good that the judge likes you, because your ex-wife is suing you for spousal support."

"She wants alimony?" Elliot barked. "That conniving little...why?"

"She thinks that you and Mom were having an affair," Maureen said, rolling her eyes. "She says that's the only way you could already be engaged. She says you're moving too fast and..."

"We're not moving fast," Olivia said, smirking. "Just backwards," she added, winking at Elliot. "She's not gonna get a dime from you, El. You know that, right?"

"I do," Elliot nodded, "I just can't believe that she's being so vindictive. She probably would have married that McMannis guy if he wasn't a psycho."

"Oh, by the way," Maureen said, laughing. "She's playing for the other team, now, Dad."

Elliot, along with the rest of the squad, looked at Maureen, shocked. "What?" Elliot gasped.

"Yeah," Maureen said, laughing. "We actually went to dinner with her new 'friend,'" she said, making air-quotes. "That woman who brought Mom soup when she was..."

Olivia interrupted, flabbergasted. "Alex?" she yelled, wide-eyed.

"Yeah, that's her name," Maureen said, getting out of her father's chair. "I'm gonna go up to the lounge. I have homework."

Elliot and Olivia shared a horrified look as the teen marched up the stairs to the room with the couch. They needed to talk to Alex, and they needed to talk to her now.

* * *

"Can you please tell me why I'm here? You requested Novak on this," Alex said as she sat in the conference room. "Which I'm very upset about, by the way, since this was my case."

"Your case," Elliot said, "That you fucked up by dropping the charges simply because you hate me."

Alex rolled her eyes. "I dropped the charges because _you_ damaged the case by beating him up because he looked at Olivia funny. Don't blame me for doing my job because you forgot how to do _yours_."

"Screw you, Alex," Elliot seethed.

"Cool it," Olivia said, getting attention from both Alex and Elliot, "If you hadn't dropped those charges, Alex, he wouldn't have gone out and raped another girl." She threw the photos of the vic onto the table. "She's alive, thankfully, but she wouldn't be traumatized or in a body cast if you hadn't let the bastard go."

Alex fanned out the photos and gasped. "He did this?" she asked.

"We got him," Elliot said, nodding and smirking. "And he confessed, _again_. I didn't hit him this time, by the way. Casey is gonna arraign him and she's gonna prosecute."

Alex's eyes dropped. "I didn't...I'm really..."

"And while we're here," Olivia interrupted, "Would you mind telling us why the fuck you're suddenly interested in Elliot's ex-wife? Up until now, I was pretty sure she was straight."

"We met at the bar," Alex said, "And she said she was sick of men. I didn't even know who she was until I told her what I did for a living, and she started babbling about you and Stabler." She looked up from Elliot to Olivia, then back. "She's a beautiful woman," she said with a smirk. "Stabler, you should have never let her go."

Elliot glared at Alex. "I think I'm with the most beautiful woman on the planet right now, actually," he said, tilting his head. "Leaving Kathy was the best decision I ever made. The truth, Alex. Are you doing this because you think it's gonna hurt me? Or Liv?"

"No," Alex said, sighing. "I'm doing this because I need to get over Olivia, and Kathy needs to get over you. Everyone wins. See?"

Olivia sat on the edge of the table, leaning over slightly toward Alex. "What do you mean? She needs to get over Elliot?"

"She's still in love with him," Alex said, shrugging. She noticed a swirl of black ink peeking over the waistband of Olivia's black pants. She smirked and licked her lips, wondering how she could see the rest of whatever that was, but she shook it off and forced herself to meet Olivia's eyes. "I'm gonna help her work through it, and hopefully convince her to drop this dumb lawsuit."

There was a knock on the door, and Cragen stepped in, looking sheepish. "Um, Cabot? Donnelly wants to see you. She just got a phone call from Farelli's lawyer, and..."

"Yeah," Alex said with a hard sigh. "I know what she wants. You guys should probably get used to working with Novak." She got out of the chair and headed toward the door. "I'm probably being reassigned or suspended now," she said, walking out of the conference room. She stopped, turned over her shoulder, and said, "Benson, I'm still in the wedding, right? Don't make me kick your ass."

Olivia chuckled softly and nodded. "You're one of my two best friends, Alex. No matter how hurt or pissed or aggravated you make me, that will never change."

"Ditto, Olivia," Alex said, nodding. She smiled, then finished walking away.

"Damn," Elliot said, scratching lightly at his chest. "I know you were always joking when you said it, but you were right all along, Liv. Kathy's a lesbian. Kind of."

Olivia laughed. "It explains so much," she said, raising an eyebrow at him. "Only a lesbian could refuse to sleep with you, then kick you out. Any straight woman would hold onto you for life."

"Thank God you're straight then," he laughed. "It also explains why she always had such violent hatred for you," Elliot said, brushing Olivia's hair back. "She probably thought you were hot."

"Okay," Olivia said, rolling her eyes. "Can we not talk about women who want to sleep with me?"

Elliot furrowed his brow, as if thinking very hard about something. "Ya know," he said, lopping his hand around Olivia's neck, "Most men would find it erotic, the ultimate turn-on, to think of their fiancée with another woman. I just get really pissed off. I don't want anyone else, man or woman, to touch you. Ever."

Olivia smirked at him leaning in to nuzzle him. "Good, because I don't want anyone else touching you, either. And we both know one very sexy gay man who would love to..."

"Stop right there," Elliot said with a shudder. "Liv, I think we need to hook Langan up with Huang."

"Why?" Olivia asked, laughing, then moaning at the pressure Elliot was putting on her neck with his hand.

"Because George is not a lunatic, and he's gay, and we like Trevor too much to have him becoming the male version of Alex."

Olivia nodded with a chuckle. "Good point. Tomorrow, El. Double date?"

"Call Trevor," Elliot said, pulling Olivia toward him for a kiss. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," Olivia said, "But this fucking thing itches like hell! Why would you do this to me?" she asked, scratching lightly at her hip.

Elliot chuckled, pulling the fabric of his shirt away from his chest. "We have matching tattoos, baby. Nothing says 'forever,' the way that does."

"Except maybe a joint interrogation," Cragen said with a chuckle from the doorway. "Munch and Fin are bringing in your next victim," he said, shaking his head. "And did I hear something about a tattoo?"

Elliot and Olivia walked out of the conference room, ignoring the question, and snickered at each other. "Lock the door next time, Stabler," Olivia said, slapping Elliot in the arm.

"Shut up, Benson," Elliot quipped, laughing. She winked at him as she walked into the pit. As he led her into the interrogation room, he ran a hand over his chest, where the tattoo emblazoned with Olivia's name rested over his heart. He decided that it was time to move backwards, one last time, before he moved forward with her for the rest of his life.

**A/N: What's he gonna do? Alex and Kathy? How do they work out? And what's gonna happen when Olivia and Elliot spend an evening with Huang and Trevor? Want me to answer these questions? Review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Another backwards move, a double date, and a surprise encounter. Is Elliot regretting taking that gold band off, or putting it on in the first place?**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. TStabler© owns the narrative, dialogue and plot of this story.**

"This was a good idea," Trevor said, opening his menu.

"It was," Elliot agreed, winking at Olivia.

George Huang, sitting next to Trevor, said, "So, uh, when did this all happen? Didn't you just get divorced?"

"Okay, you're starting to sound like Kathy," Elliot said with a laugh as he flipped open his menu. "I knew, for a long time, that I wanted to be with Olivia. I can't help thinking that it was supposed to be her, from the beginning, ya know?"

George smiled and nodded. "You two always had this connection, you're psychologically in tune with each other, and the sexual tension is…"

"Please, don't shrink my head before I've eaten," Olivia said dryly, giving Huang an annoyed look.

The table laughed as the waiter came over to take their orders. They each took their turn, giving the man their order, and handed him the menus. He informed them that their soups and salads would be out shortly, and then went to fetch their drinks. The four of them made small talk, clever conversation, and when the drinks arrived, so did Olivia's urge to check her hair.

"I'm gonna go to the ladies room," Olivia said, giving Elliot a quick kiss on the cheek. Elliot smiled at her and watched her walk away, then he leaned over and said, "Okay, guys, I have to tell you something, and I need you both to tell me if you think I'm crazy."

"I already think you're fucking nuts," Trevor said.

Huang chuckled. "Professional opinion, you're as sane as they come. Personally, I think you're a bit insane."

"I haven't told you what I've done yet," Elliot said, coolly.

The boys laughed and Trevor said, "Okay, Stabler. What did you do?"

"I bought a house," Elliot said, drinking his beer.

Trevor and George stared at him. "What?" Trevor gasped.

"A townhouse, on East Seventy-Eighth Street," Elliot told them. "It's amazing, and it's a few million dollars that I really don't have, and never will, but she's worth it. Four floors, five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a huge living room, and the roof is a full patio deck, with a garden. It's amazing. The mortgage payments are affordable, I just hope she'll wanna move before we have to pay the fucker off."

"You know you got this whole think backwards right? You're supposed to date, get engaged, get married, then move in together," Huang said, still stunned.

Elliot laughed. "I planned it that backwards," he said, chuckling. "Look, uh, don't say anything to Liv, huh? I'm taking her there tonight. I kind of…"

"You didn't tell her?" Trevor asked, shocked.

"You don't have to worry about a new house, because you are in the doghouse, now, pal," Huang chimed in.

"I wanted to surprise her! Besides, it's not like I really asked for her input on anything else we've done, right?" Elliot took another sip of his beer, then said, "I got her out of her lease. We can move in as soon as tomorrow, if she's not completely pissed off at me."

Olivia, behind him, asked, "Why am I pissed off at you?"

"Oh! Hey, baby!" Elliot said, smiling brightly at her. "You're not. I don't think…I hope."

"Tell me what you did and I'll tell you if I'm pissed," Olivia said, sitting down.

"After dinner, Liv," Elliot said, gesturing toward the waiter, bringing their food. "Trevor and George seem to be hitting it off," he whispered to her. "Why don't we eat, and then let them spend some time alone?"

Olivia leaned into her lover, smirking. "You just want to get me home so you can play with my tattoo."

"You know me well, Benson," Elliot said, winking at her. He just hoped, after he surprised her, she would let him near that tattoo again.

* * *

"You missed the turn," Olivia said, pointing out the window.

Elliot bit his bottom lip and shook his head. "No, I didn't, baby. I know where I'm going."

"Then, clearly, it isn't home," Olivia chuckled.

"It is," Elliot said, clearing his throat. "Or I hope it will be," he mumbled under his breath. He turned down Seventy-Eighth Street and drove, crossing over to the East Side. He parked in a numbered space on the street and got out of the car. He walked around to Olivia's side, opening her door for her, and took her hand. "Please, don't kill me," he said to her, pulling her close to him and shutting the car door.

Olivia looked around and asked, "Why would I kill you? Where the hell are we, El?"

Elliot took a breath and turned her around, so she was facing the townhouse he'd bought, and said, "We're home, baby."

Olivia's voice wavered, only slightly, as she stammered, "Are you…you have to be…you can't be…"

"I'm serious," Elliot said, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "I'm not kidding, baby. It's ours. I mean, I'll be paying for it until I'm ninety-nine, but it's ours. Mo can't live in a closet for the rest of her life, and I want kids. Lots and lots of babies with you, Livvy, and we could never do that in the apartment." He looked down at her and the look on her face was a blank, frozen, stare. "Say something, Livvy. Laugh, cry, hit me, just do something, baby."

Olivia swallowed and turned around, in his arms, to face him. She said nothing, but she did do something. She took his face in her hands and kissed him.

Elliot, relieved, sighed and moaned into her mouth and pulled her closer, wrapping his strong arms around her, deepening the kiss until neither one could breathe properly. "So," he panted, "Does this mean you're not mad at me?"

"Oh, El, I'm furious," Olivia whispered, capturing his lips again, nibbling lightly on his bottom lip. "You're not paying for this by yourself, we are gonna make the payments together. My God, El! You bought a fucking house! In Manhattan!" she yelled, laughing.

"Yeah, I did," Elliot chuckled, swaying her back and forth. "We deserve this, Livvy. You know we do."

Olivia smiled as her lips met his yet again, and they kissed on the step of their new home. "When can we move in?" she asked, pulling away from him to look up at the place.

"Tomorrow, baby," Elliot said, smiling down at her. "We can start to bring everything over tomorrow. Fin and Munch said they'd help, and Trevor and George are in."

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "How many of our friends knew about this before I did?" she asked.

"Oh, ya know, just one or…all of them," Elliot said, with a sigh. "I was so fucking excited, Livvy. I couldn't stand it. I told anyone who'd listen."

"Anyone?" Olivia asked, seeing someone heading in their direction.

"Yeah," Elliot said, nodding. "What are you looking at?" he asked. Then, he turned to see what she was seeing, and his eyes widened. "Hi, Kathy," he said, stunned. "Hey, Alex."

Alex smirked at the flabbergasted expressions on their faces. "Hello, you two. We just came to see the place," she said. "Olivia, uh, a little birdie told me you got a tattoo?"

"What?" Olivia spat, glaring at Elliot.

"Don't look at me! I don't tweet that loudly!" Elliot defended.

Kathy chuckled. "I told her, Olivia. Maureen told me, and I told her. What is it of? I mean, if you don't mind me asking," she questioned.

Olivia looked at Elliot and then back at Kathy and Alex. "Same thing Elliot has," she stated, deciding against divulging details.

"You got Jesus on your hip?" Alex asked, wide-eyed. "You're not Catholic."

"Not Jesus," Olivia mumbled, rolling her eyes.

Kathy furrowed her brow. "His Marine seal? Even I wasn't in love with him enough to do that!"

"Not that, either," Elliot said, enjoying the fact that his ex thought she knew his body so well, and didn't even love him.

"Well, those are the only tattoos you…you got a new one, too, then?" Kathy finally realized.

Elliot nodded. "They, uh, match."

"Where the hell are they?" Kathy asked, chuckling, trying to find new ink anywhere on either body.

"Nowhere you're ever gonna see," Elliot said, absently running a hand down over Olivias hip.

Alex's eye twitched, and she felt dampness pooling between her legs as she eyed Olivia up and down. His hand, she figured, must be resting on her ink. She had to know what it was, she had to see it, and she had to touch it. "Olivia, um, why don't we go in, huh? I'm sure Stabler's anxious to show the place off," she suggested.

"It's empty, Alex," Elliot said, seeing a look in her eyes he didn't like. He held on, possessively, to Olivia. "When it's furnished and ready, we'll have everyone over to see it."

"A housewarming party?" Kathy asked, briskly. "We never had one of those, Elliot."

Elliot scoffed. "I'm doing a lot of things with Olivia that I never did with you, like, gee, asking her to marry me because I love her, not because she got pregnant."

"Low blow, Elliot," Kathy spat.

"You deserved it, Kathy! Where do you get off telling my daughter to call my fiancée and say she hates her? And you're suing me? What the hell for? I'm not paying for your damn house, Kathy. Not anymore," Elliot rattled off, talking fast and loud. "I sold the damn thing, you know that! You moved out and I needed the money to..."

"Calm down," Alex demanded, interrupting. "Kathy dropped the damn lawsuit, Stabler. And she apologized to Maureen. So just relax."

Elliot took a breath, shook his head and pulled Olivia toward the car. "Cabot, are you still on the Devlin case?"

"No," Alex said. "I've been suspended for three weeks. Casey's taking it."

Elliot nodded, helping Olivia into the car. "Then I won't see you in court tomorrow. Take care," he said, bitterly, getting into the driver's side and driving away as fast as he could.

Alex watched them go, determined to make Olivia hers, somehow, someway. She turned to Kathy and smiled, knowing that this relationship would somehow get her one step closer. "Your place or mine?" she asked, tilting her head.

Kathy smirked. "Yours," she said. It was a farther walk, but Alex lived closer to Olivia, and she had an urge to watch her and Elliot closely tonight. She knew what Alex wanted, and she was gonna make damn sure she didn't get it. Having one lover play games with her over Olivia Benson was enough. If Olivia wanted Elliot, she could have him. But Kathy was determined to keep Alex all to herself.

**A/N: A trial with Casey at the helm, moving into the new place, and wedding planning begins! But, who gets in the way? Reviews are like sunshine. I don't really see too well in the dark at night without them…o..O Or something.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: As she realizes Olivia and Elliot are finally moving forward, will Alex take a step too far? **

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and characters belong to Dick Wolf. Story belongs to TStabler© Read it? Love it? Review it!**

"Okay," Olivia said, walking up the grandiose, spiral staircase. She reached the third landing and said, "This place is way too fucking big."

Elliot, standing beside her, leaned over the railing and looked down into the living room below. "It's beautiful, though. And it won't seem so big when we have kids running up and down these stairs, coming in and out of the rooms, right?"

"Well, no, but, it's gonna be too big until we have those kids," Olivia said, laughing.

"I happen to know, for a fact, that you like big things, baby," Elliot said with a smirk as he wrapped his arms around Olivia.

Olivia smirked right back at him. "I do," she said as she returned his hug and raised her eyes at him. "You know what my favorite big thing is?" she asked, running one hand down his back, bringing it around to the front of his waist. She slid it down and cupped him through his pants gently, caressing.

Elliot moaned, gripped her tighter, and chuckled. "I think I have an idea," he groaned, feeling her sliding her hand up and down his already hardened member. "God, Livvy," he grunted, dropping his forehead to hers.

"I want you, El," Olivia whispered, looking deep into his eyes. "I want you now, here."

"Who am I to argue?" Elliot chuckled, tilting his head, he leaned in and kissed her as he walked them back to the wall. He tugged her sweatpants down over her hips, gasping as he felt her hands reaching into his.

"Hmmm, El," Olivia moaned, stroking him now that he'd been freed from his cotton boxers and sweats.

"Shit, baby," Elliot said, "Taking the day off to move was a good fucking idea." He slid down her silk panties and brushed his fingers up and down her wet folds, making her moan his name. He grinned as he slipped his finger inside and she moaned his name, louder. She was the only woman in the world who could bring him to the brink of cumming just by saying his name. She stroked him harder as he pushed another finger into her. "God, Livvy," he cried, his eyes closing involuntarily as he winced in severe pleasure, it was almost painful.

"El," Olivia barely whispered, leaning right into his ear, "Now, baby. Please."

Elliot grinned as he opened his eyes to look at her. His favorite moment, aside from watching her cum, was looking into her eyes as he entered her. He flipped them around, holding her against the wall. He held her by the hips for a moment as he kissed her, and then moved his hands lower to spread her apart. He gasped and she cried out, but their eyes remained opened and connected, as he buried himself inside of her. He saw a brief flash of pain in Olivia's eyes and felt slightly guilty, but it faded when he saw love and pure pleasure quickly take pain's place. lifted one of her legs around his waist, getting deeper.

"Oh, God, yes," Olivia cried, dropping her head to the crook of his neck. She bit lightly, suckling and kissing as she did so, practically keening as he moved within her.

"I love you," Elliot moaned, making his thrusts harder. "God, I love you."

Olivia whimpered, feeling herself start to burn, tighten, and tense. "I love you, El," she said breathlessly, digging her nails into his shoulders.

"Livvy," Elliot grunted, feeling her clenching around him. "God, Olivia," he spat, kissing her. "So good. So damn incredible," he whispered as he made love to her lips as well as her body. He pulled back from the kiss and looked into her eyes, foreheads touching, and he said, "I need you to cum, baby. I'm so fucking close, and I'm not, oh, God, cumming without you."

Olivia gave him a moaning chuckle, clamping around him harder. "Jesus, Elliot," she growled, her head flying back into the wall, but not hard enough to hurt. "God, baby!" She almost screamed.

"Fuck yeah, Livvy," Elliot growled, slamming into her as she came, making her scream louder, spilling into her and grunting his own release. He used his last burst of energy to flip them over again and pick Olivia up, wrapping her around him completely. They held each other, panting. Elliot brushed Olivia's hair back, gently, as she continued to shiver in his arms. "God, Livvy," he panted, waiting for her to come down from her high.

"I am not a religious woman El," Olivia sighed, "But every time we make love, no matter where or how, I swear you show me Heaven."

Elliot's response was a heart-stopping kiss. One that lasted as long as it took him to carry her into the nearest bedroom.

* * *

"Well?" Fin asked, hopeful, as Casey, Olivia and Elliot walked into the squadroom the following day.

Olivia walked over to the coffee pot and said, "Guilty on all counts. Sal Devlin is gonna be in jail until I have grandkids."

"Good," Munch said.

Casey looked at them and said, "How could we lose? You two had solid evidence against him, and your testimonies were stellar!"

"Thank you, Counselor," Elliot said, smoothing out his tie and shooting Olivia a cocky grin.

"Congratulations," a familiar female voice said from the doorway.

Elliot turned and instantly shifted his mood from cheerful to horrified. "What are you doing here and what the hell are you wearing?"

Olivia raised both eyebrows and tried not to gasp. "That is, wow, Alex, that dress is, um, is that leather?"

Alex looked Olivia dead in the eyes. "Yes," she said. "Wanna touch it?"

Olivia scoffed and looked at Elliot, who was trying very hard not to hit something. She looked back at Alex, glaring, and said, "No."

"Bummer," Alex said, walking into the bullpen. "Stabler, I just wanted to ask you, do you remember any special places that drove Kathy absolutely..."

"I'm at work!" Elliot interrupted, yelling. "Even if I wasn't, I wouldn't tell you!" He glanced at Olivia and cleared his throat. "Actually, I couldn't tell you. I didn't really take the time to figure her out."

Alex smirked and narrowed her eyes. She leaned into him and whispered, "But you could tell me how to make Olivia scream couldn't you?"

Elliot couldn't help but give Alex a smug grin. "Listen, Cabot," he said in a whisper. "I'm the only man who's ever done it, the only one who will ever do it. I'm the only person in the world who knows how to please her, and I'm keeping it that way."

Alex's smirk faded. "Anyway," she said "I just came by to tell you that Casey's taking over all of my open cases, so if something comes up on one of them, you should call her, not me."

"We knew that," Olivia said. "And, uh, I wouldn't call you anyway."

"What?" Alex asked, looking shocked.

Olivia sighed, dropped her mug onto Elliot's desk, oblivious to him picking it up and drinking her coffee. "Alex, I'm sorry, you've gone way too far this time," she said.

Elliot leaned back in his chair and chuckled to himself as he sipped his fiancée's coffee. He was loving this already.

Olivia looked down at him, ripped her mug out of his hands with a click of her tongue, then yelled at Alex. "You're supposed to be my best friend and you are being a selfish bitch. Get a life, Alex, and stay out of mine! You're not even supposed to be here, you only came here because you wanted me to see you in that...costume! You're suspended, we're working, get out!"

"Wait, Olivia," Alex protested, her heart pounding. "What are you doing?"

"What I should have done when you kissed me," Olivia said. "I am getting married, Alex. To Elliot! I'm not...and never will be...interested in you, and if you can't accept that, then get the hell out of my life! You're throwing away a six year friendship over this stupid crush, Alex!"

Alex looked down, fighting back tears. "I guess I am," she whispered. She looked up at Olivia, then down at Elliot, and she brought her eyes back up to meet Olivia's. "Goodbye, Ollie." She didn't wait for an answer, she just turned and walked out of the squadroom.

A tear rolled down Olivia's cheek. She sniffled and looked sadly at the now-empty doorway as she whispered, "Goodbye, Allie."

"I don't wanna interrupt the latest episode of Melrose Place: SVU, but you've got a vic," Cragen said, handing Olivia a pink slip of paper. "Use the car ride to Saint Joe's to cry and calm down," he said, resting a hand on her shoulder.

Olivia nodded, the looked down at Elliot. "Let's go, El."

Elliot got out of his chair and followed Olivia out of the squadroom, waiting only until they got into the elevator before pulling her into a hug and letting her let go. She let go of the anger, and of the hurt, and of Alexandra Cabot.

* * *

"I feel like hell," Olivia said, walking back into the bullpen three hours later. Elliot came in behind her carrying coffee for the unit.

"You just lost a friend, Baby-Girl," Fin said. "You're gonna feel..."

"Fin," Olivia interrupted, "I meant, I feel like hell because the poor girl couldn't remember a damn thing. We talked to the parents, went to the school where it happened, and it's Saint Catherine's."

Munch took his coffee from Elliot with a thankful nod. "So?" he asked. "Who could have..."

"No one," Elliot interrupted. "Saint Catherine's is an all-girl school, all the teachers are nuns, the principal is a Reverend Mother. The janitorial staff is even completely female."

Olivia sighed, ran a hand through her hair, and said, "This is gonna be a tough one."

"Baby-Girl," Fin said, raising his eyebrow as Elliot handed him a cup of coffee, "If you need to take a few minutes, go on up to the cribs."

"Why would I need to do that?" Olivia asked, sipping her coffee and sliding into her seat.

"Well," Fin said, "Your best friend..."

Olivia looked at Fin and interrupted him. Finishing his sentence, she said, "Is sitting right across from me."

Elliot looked up at her as she turned to meet his gaze, and he smiled. He decided, at that moment, that the best way to take her mind off of losing Alex was to keep her busy. "Liv, tomorrow, you and Casey take the car and the card, and go find your dress."

**A/N: Let the wedding games begin! How will Alex feel when she finds out Casey is helping Olivia plan? What surprising help does Kathy offer? Review and you shall know!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Casey and Olivia spend the morning dress shopping, and run into someone neither one wants to see, until the truth comes out, along with a surprising offer.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and characters belong to Dick Wolf. Story belongs to TStabler© Read it? Love it? Review it!**

"How can you not be a morning person?" Casey asked, looking at Olivia, who was wearing dark sunglasses and drinking straight black coffee. "You get up at five every morning!"

"Yes," Olivia said, yawning, "To go to work, Case. Normally, when I'm up this early, it's because I get to be pissy and shoot things. You can't expect me to be cheerful right now. Especially when I have to go shopping."

Casey smirked and nudged her with her elbow. "Shopping for your wedding dress, Olivia!"

"Never thought I'd see the day," Olivia muttered, shaking her head as she sipped her coffee.

"Oh, come on," Casey said, rolling her eyes. "Your love life wasn't that…"

"Brian. Cassidy," Olivia said, interrupting her. "Simply because he had blue fucking eyes!"

Casey chuckled. "Okay, so you had it bad," Casey admitted. "But, look, you got the guy now, don't you?"

"Of no fault of my own, I'll have you know," Olivia said with a smirk. "He hit me over the head with this relationship like a fucking frying pan, Case. I didn't have time to panic, or run, or pull any of the shit I normally pull by the third date."

"And what is your point?" Casey laughed, linking arms with Olivia as they strolled down the street.

"My point, Casey," Olivia said with a sigh, "Is that Elliot Stabler knows me. He really fucking knows me. He knew exactly what I would do, and he did everything he could to make sure I didn't do it. If he loves me that much, I have to ignore the feeling in the pit of my stomach telling me to run like the wind and I have to marry the man, right?"

Casey laughed, seeing the smirk on Olivia's face, and pulled her along. "You, Olivia Benson, are a piece of work, ya know that?"

"I've been told," Olivia said, following Casey into a boutique. She slid her sunglasses to the top of her head and looked around. "Case, Elliot gave me his credit card, not his kidney! I can't afford anything in this place!"

"Shut up and try on the first dress you see that you absolutely hate," Casey instructed.

Olivia furrowed her brow. "Why would I want to…"

"Because if we weed out all the shit, you'll know your dress the second you see it!" Casey declared, interrupting.

Olivia laughed. "You're one of those people who've been in nine hundred weddings, aren't you?"

Casey grinned as she pawed through the first section of overly priced gowns. "I'm the youngest of six sisters, they're all married. I'm one of thirteen female cousins, and they're all married. Am I answering your question?"

Olivia smirked, shook her head, and asked, "And you're not married because…"

"That's a question you should be asking a certain gruff detective you work with," Casey replied, raising an eyebrow.

"You really have the hots for Fin?" Olivia gasped.

Casey blushed and shuffled around more dresses, avoiding the question. "Besides, by the youngest sister, I mean I've also got two older, single brothers. They have to do the deed before me, or they'll never let me hear the end of it."

Olivia laughed, sorting through some of the most hideous gowns she'd ever seen. "Really?" she asked, clutching onto a bright pink ball gown. "Who the hell would do this to themselves?"

"Uh, Barbie, I think," Casey chuckled. "You need to put that on. I need to take a picture. We need to send it to Elliot."

"No, no, and no we sure as fuck don't!" Olivia spat, trying to appear mad through her laughter.

"Olivia, the man you love is sitting in a courtroom bored out of his mind right now," Casey said, rolling her eyes. "He could use a good laugh."

Olivia grabbed the dress, chuckling, and asked, "Do you think I'll look pretty in pink?"

"Oh, yeah, baby!" Casey chortled. They were heading to the dressing room when Olivia stopped, causing Casey to barrel into her. "Oof," Casey huffed. "Benson, move your ass."

Olivia moved, in slow motion, toward the dress hanging on an otherwise empty rack. She picked it up and practically threw the Pepto-Bismol colored monstrosity in her hands at Casey. Saying nothing, she let her hands drift down the fabric of the new dress, luxuriating in the silk.

"You can't be serious," Casey said, dismissively. "It's so simple, Olivia. It's just a plain, white, dress."

"Exactly," Olivia said, a smile playing at her lips. It was a simple, white satin, sheath dress, with only a few rhinestone baubles at the waistline. It looked like it would hug her curves, flaring out at her calves into a delicate train. Classy, elegant, simple. And she noticed, as she flipped the price tag over in her hand, it was affordable. "El won't have a heart-attack. Case, if this fits, this is it."

"Olivia, please, for my sanity, try on more than one dress," Casey begged. "Try on some with more…dress. Look over here, this one's really…Olivia?" She turned only to find Olivia had wandered into the dressing room. She sighed and shook her head. "I forgot how fucking stubborn you were, Benson."

Olivia's reply was a grunt and a loud curse. "Fucking hell," she spat, throwing the dress over the top of the door. "Fucker's too small."

"It was too…a lot of things," Casey said with a smirk. "Think of it as a blessing, Olivia."

"No," Olivia said, straightening her shirt out as she came out of the dressing room, "It fit everywhere but here!" she cried, gesturing to her chest. "How does a dress fit perfectly on your hips but not zip over your chest? I'm not a big woman," she moaned.

Casey raised an eyebrow and looked Olivia up and down. "They look like they're getting bigger," she suggested.

"Uh, I hit puberty already, thanks," Olivia huffed, barreling through the aisle and heading for the door.

"Not what I meant!" Casey chuckled. "Olivia, you're working out a lot, and you're having a lot more sex than you've have in years, and you know damn well Stabler's obsessed with your boobs! Those things are getting quite a workout!"

Olivia turned with a smirk and a cockeyed expression. "Those are all reasons they should be getting smaller, Casey," she laughed. "I think it was a manufacturer defect. I officially hate this place. Where to next?"

"There's an amazing shop a few blocks down," Casey said. "All designer dresses, but from last season, so they're cheaper."

"Designer?" Olivia asked, raising her eyebrows. "Who do you think I'm marrying, Brad Pitt?"

Casey laughed. "I just told you they were cheaper!"

"Cheap Narcisso Rodriguez is still too fucking expensive for Olivia Benson," Olivia said, sliding her shades back down. "I'm wearing the same pair of Michael Kors jeans I've had since high school. I got them at T. J. Maxx for twenty bucks, and I don't even think the man remembers designing them!"

"You're a trip, Benson," Casey said, looping an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm just not materialistic," Olivia said with a shrug.

Casey sighed. "Olivia, Elliot told me how much we had to play with, and you are thinking way below your limit."

"What are you…wait, what?" Olivia said, blinking as Casey tugged her into the designer shop. "This is a big fucking city. This could only happen to me!"

"Wow," Casey gasped. "Maybe coming here wasn't such a good…"

"Olivia?" the blonde behind the counter said, smiling brightly. "Are you shopping for your dress?"

Olivia looked around, hoping there was another woman named 'Olivia' that she could be talking to. When she found out there wasn't, she sighed. "Yeah, Kathy. I am."

"Well, you picked the right place," Kathy said, coming out to greet Olivia and Casey. "Listen, before I start showing you dresses, I need to ask. What happened with you and Alex last night?"

"Before I answer that," Olivia said, "Can I ask you what you're doing working here? Shouldn't you be at the hospital?"

Kathy sighed and said, "I work here on my days off. I had to take a second job, since I'm not sharing Elliot's income anymore, and paying rent by myself. I have never had to take care of myself before, ya know? It's rough."

"Funny," Olivia said, smiling a bit. "I only know how to take care of myself. I've never been taken care of before."

"Well, I've always wondered what it was like to be you," Kathy said with a shrug. "Guess we're kind of switching lives, huh?"

"Guess so," Olivia said, tilting her head. Kathy had been jealous of her? Why? If anything, Olivia was the one with the reasons to be jealous. Well, not anymore. "Answering your question, she came into the squadroom wearing this leather…thing. She was asking Elliot really personal queations about you and me…"

"Stop," Kathy said, holding up a hand. "I don't want to hear it. I'll talk to her. You had every right to yell at her." She shook her head, trying to get the image of her lover in a leather dress, trying to prod her ex-husband for sexual information out of her head. "What kind of dress did you have in mind?"

Olivia shrugged, trying to stay nice, be kind to this woman, whom she despised. "Well, uh, simple. Nothing flashy, nothing poofy, I'm getting married, not going to the Prince's Ball in a fucking pumpkin carriage. I want white. I don't want ivory, eggshell, cream, beige, baby's ass, or whatever. I want white. I want something I can walk in, and I don't want it to look like I'm floating. If I'm gonna be paying a few hundred dollars for shoes, I want people to fucking see them. "

"Elliot was right," Kathy said, leading the two women to a section in the back. "You really do know exactly what you want."

Casey and Olivia shared a look. "Elliot called you?" Casey asked.

"He knew we were coming here?" Olivia questioned.

"Hell no," Kathy laughed. "That's just one of the many, many, many things he said about you, that I couldn't help but commit to memory. Since you became his partner, you were all he talked about." She shuffled through a few dresses, then pulled out one that seemed identical to the one Olivia had fallen in love with. "Try this on, Olivia."

Olivia took the dress, but looked at Kathy quizzically. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"You really don't know?" Kathy asked, honestly confused. "Olivia, I'm not mad. I'm not hurt. I mean, I was at first, but I know you two didn't plan it, you couldn't control it, and if Elliot and I had any real love left between us, he wouldn't have fallen in love with you. He's an amazing man, he really is, but he and I should never have been together. We stayed together for the wrong reasons, and we weren't happy. Now, he's got you, and he's with you because he loves and wants and needs you, Olivia. The right reasons."

Olivia hadn't noticed she was crying. She only realized it when Kathy reached out a hand and swiped the tear that threatened to drop. "Don't cry on the dress, Olivia," Kathy teased. "Go put it on."

"Thank you, Kathy," Olivia said, offering a genuine smile.

Casey waited until Olivia was safely ensconced in the fitting room before turning to Kathy. "That was decent of you," she said.

"I meant it," Kathy said. "They're both good people, Miss Novak. They deserve to be happy, just as I do."

"And you expect me to believe that you're happy with Alex?" Casey asked, folding her arms.

Before Kathy could reply, the door to Olivia's dressing room swung open and she stepped out. Casey and Kathy gasped, as did another voice, coming from behind them. Olivia looked into the eyes of her former friend, and saw true hurt. But she didn't feel anything but resentment. "What do you guys think?" she asked, turning from Casey to Kathy and back again.

"You look beautiful," Casey said, tears in her eyes.

Kathy nodded, feeling herself choke up. "You definately found your dress, Olivia. Elliot's going to die when he see you in this," she said. "I'll have it cleaned, pressed, a little cinching in back here," she said, pulling on the satin, "And I'll have it delivered to your new place."

"You went dress shopping with Casey," Alex said, accusingly, "Not me. Casey? And to add insult to injury, you're buying your dress from my girlfriend? Your fiancee's ex-wife?"

Kathy turned around, snapping, "She's not buying anything, and she didn't know I worked here, Alex. And you have no reason to be upset with her when you're the one who crossed the line last night, Al! You lied to me!"

"Guys," Olivia interjected, "Please, don't fight. If it's going to cause a problem, I don't have to buy the…"

"You're not buying it," Kathy said, fiercely. Her eyes, then, softened. "This is my gift to you, Olivia. I'm sorry about the way I reacted, and for any trouble I may have caused you. I owe you a lot, really. You've kept Elliot safe for that last year of our decaying marriage and you've given Maureen a stable, loving place to call home when I couldn't. Think of this as a thank you." She pulled Olivia into her arms, into a heartfelt hug.

Alex turned and walked out of the shop, her eyes wide and her mouth curled in a scowling pout. She couldn't believe what she had just seen or heard. The only thing she believed, now, was that Olivia was one step closer to becoming Misses Elliot Stabler, and she was going to do it looking so beautiful. She'd taken one step closer to wearing that band of gold that would make her his, forever. And Kathy helped her take it.

**A/N: What will Elliot say when he finds out about Kathy? Will Alex come to her senses before Olivia and Elliot put on those gold bands? And who pushes Fin to ask Casey out? Review, if you'd like to find out!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Someone gets pushed off of a roof, Alex pushes Elliot too far, and Fin and Casey get pushed together. **

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and characters belong to Dick Wolf. Story belongs to TStabler© Read it? Love it? Review it!**

"You know what they say," Elliot said, peering down at the body, "The higher they fly the harder and faster they fall."

"Who says that?" Olivia asked, poking at an oozing cut on the victim's neck.

"You know," Elliot said, making a face. "They do."

Olivia shook her head and rolled her eyes.

Melinda leaned over and asked, "You sure you wanna put up with that for the rest of your life?"

"More than sure," Olivia said, seriousness dancing in her eyes.

Melinda chuckled, then craned her neck up to see Elliot. "She must have fallen off the roof," she said. "Not out of a window. Almost every bone in her body appears to be broken. I'll verify that when I get her back to the lab."

"She didn't jump," Olivia observed, skimming a gloved hand over the woman's left foot. "Jumpers take off their shoes."

Elliot, kneeling beside her, shoved his hand into the girl's pocket, pulling out some loose change, a diamond ring, and a pink wallet. "And they usually empty their pockets," he said, gesturing for someone with CSU to give him an evidence bag. He dropped the change and the ring into the bag, and then opened the wallet. "Her name's...oh fuck," Elliot spat, dropping the wallet. "We can't...uh, everyone stop! Stop moving! We need to get IAB down here, now! Tell them _not_ to send Sergeant Tucker!"

Olivia, confused, picked up the wallet and her face fell. "Shit," she whispered harshly. "Did you even know he had a daughter?"

Elliot shook his head solemnly. "This isn't how I wanted to find out, either."

* * *

Olivia flinched, closing her eyes, as she heard Ed Tucker's anguish filled cries coming from Cragen's office, as he shouted about incompetent detectives running his child's investigation.

"Incompetent?" Elliot huffed. "We're the best he's fucking got, and we followed protocol. I know he's hurt, and he's angry, and I can't imagine what he's going through, but he's gonna take it all out on us?"

Olivia just squeezed the bridge of her nose and nodded. She headed back toward her desk, unwilling to listen to anymore of the devastated man's screaming. As soon as she sat down, a harrowed looking Alex, in a sweat-suit with unkempt hair, strolled in. She was red-eyed, puffy, and looked as if she hadn't slept or eaten in days. "Olive," she said, softly, walking toward Olivia's desk.

"Not now, Alex," Olivia said, her eyes drifting shut and her head dropping forward. "We're busy."

"Olivia, please," Alex said. "You have to listen to me. I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry for everything. I shouldn't have pushed and pushed, but you have to understand where I was coming from."

"You think I don't?" Olivia suddenly turned, shouting. "Christ, Alex! I was in love with my best friend for a goddamn year, and couldn't tell him. Couldn't touch him. I could never even let myself think it was possible!" She shook her head, unable to believe she was having this conversation. "I had to watch him with his wife, Alex! I had to work next to him, look into his eyes, talk to him, and pretend my heart wasn't breaking. I had to hold my breath every time his hand accidentally brushed mine, every time we were knocked into each other, any time we touched at all, because I was afraid I'd sigh, or moan, or tell him I loved him." She let her eyes drift over to Elliot, who looked so guilty, on the verge of tears, then she turned back to Alex. "I know exactly what you're going through."

"Olivia," Alex said, leaning closer to her, "You've only known Elliot for a year and half, you've only been in love with him for a year and half. I've been in love with you since I was nineteen. That's three years of college, three of law school, and the last year and half. Seven and a half years, Olive. Do you know what that kind of pain does to a person?"

"Look, Alex, I..." Olivia was cut off when Alex kissed her, this time allowing herself to go deep, kiss her completely. Olivia pushed and pulled, but was shocked into stiffness. Elliot was beyond pissed, he broke in between the two girls, shoving Alex, hard, away from Olivia.

"Have you lost your damn mind?" Elliot yelled. "We've got the death of a friend and colleague's daughter to deal with, we're working, you can not keep coming in here and screwing with us! You need to go back to your girlfriend and keep your damn hands and lips off of my fiancée!"

Tucker, behind them, still in tears, walked over to them. "Is this personal shit?" he asked. "I knew this would happen! Cragen, obviously, they can't keep it together. One of them leaves! After they nail the bastard who took my baby away, that is! Ya get me?"

Olivia and Elliot looked at each other, horrified.

"Ed," Elliot said, pleading, "Please don't do this. I know you're hurting, man."

Olivia turned to Tucker, rested a hand on his shoulder, and squeezed. She was going to say something, but he collapsed into her arms, mumbling about being sorry, crying his daughter's name over and over. "Ed," she said softly, "I'm so sorry, Ed, I really am, and I promise, we'll find him."

"Olivia," Tucker sobbed, "When you do, you kill him."

Holding the man who'd been after her badge for the last year as he cried, Olivia looked up at Elliot, who looked terribly hurt himself. She watched her fiancée walk out of the bullpen, shaking his head, followed by Alex, who seemed rather pleased with herself.

Olivia would have followed them, if Tucker would have let go of her.

* * *

"Elliot," Kathy said, confused, as he walked into the emergency room, "What are you doing here? No one called special victims. Where's Olivia?"

"I'm not working. Ya got a second?" Elliot asked his ex, leaning up against the nurse's desk. "I need to talk to you."

Kathy smirked. "The dress was a gift, Elliot. You can't talk me into taking your mon...

"What dress?" Elliot asked, his brow furrowed.

"Olivia didn't tell you?" Kathy asked. "Never mind, then. What do you want?"

Elliot shook his head and sighed. "Alex kissed her, Kathy. Really kissed her. There was tongue and...God, why the fuck..."

"Slow down," Kathy said, resting a hand on his chest. "Alex kissed who? Olivia?"

Elliot nodded. "Liv tried to move, she tried to...but she was so shocked, I mean, it came out of nowhere, and Alex wasn't even drunk this time."

"Why are you telling me?" Kathy asked. "You came all the way to Saint Mark's Hospital to tell me that my..."

"No," Elliot interrupted, shaking his head. "I came to ask you if you could keep her away from us. She's pushed me too far, and I swear, I'm gonna do something stupid if she comes anywhere near me or Liv."

Kathy sighed, again. "Elliot, we broke up last night."

"What?" Elliot asked, scoffing.

"I heard what she did. The leather debacle," Kathy said. "Alex told me Olivia blew up at her for no reason, she cried all night, making me feel sorry for her, and she lied to me. She was just using me to get to you and Olivia, she was hoping that seeing me with a woman would make you angry, jealous even. She wanted you to come back to me, so she could get to Olivia."

Elliot shook his head and chuckled. "I'm sorry, Kathy."

"I'm not," Kathy replied. "I knew it wouldn't work. Alex knew it wouldn't work. You and Olivia are too fare gone. Oh! Tell Olivia that her dress is ready, and it'll be delivered tomorrow. You're gonna have a stroke when you see her in it."

Elliot smiled at Kathy and nodded. "Probably," he said. "I'd have a stroke even if she married me wearing a bathrobe and rain boots, Kathy. I don't mean to offend you, but this is..."

"I know, Elliot," Kathy said as she returned his smile. "It's your real wedding. The one that matters."

Elliot took Kathy's hand and said, "What we had _was_ real, Kathy. At one point. It just faded, and we weren't that interested in saving it. Well, I wasn't." He dropped her hand, nodded with a sad smile, and walked out of the emergency room doors.

* * *

"Man," Fin said, shaking his head. "This is violent, and cruel."

"Oh, it is not!" Olivia spat, chuckling. "I'm asking you to take a girl out for dinner, not pulling your eyelashes and toenails out with rusty tweezers!"

Fin chuckled. "Same thing, Baby-Girl."

"You already know her," Olivia said, smirking.

Fin raised an eyebrow. "I am not goin' out with Stabler's sister again," he said. "She is...she is definately not Catholic."

"Fin," Olivia laughed, "I'm talking about Casey!"

"I'd like to go back to my sister," Elliot said, coming in with a quirked eye. "What the hell did you do with my sister?"

"Woah, man," Fin laughed, "You need to talk to her about what she did to me! I think I still have the scars!"

Elliot grimaced. "Aw, Fin, man! That's my baby sister!"

"Yeah, and think of how I feel when I have to hear you talk about what you and Baby-Girl over here do!" Fin countered. "That's exactly like hearing about my sister!"

"Okay," Olivia said, shaking her head quickly, "I'd rather not know that you two talk about my sex life."

"Where were you, man?" Fin asked, handing Elliot an updated file on the case.

Eliot sighed. "Went to see Kathy. We had a chat. Then Went to see Liz. I put in a formal request to make Casey our permanent A.D.A, and I told her I might need a restraining order. If Alex doesn't watch it...man, she picked the wrong people to fuck with."

Olivia sighed, audibly, still hiding her hurt over the situation. Her phone rang, and she answered it with an annoyed sounding, "Benson." She listened for a minute, then said, "We'll be right there." She hung up and looked at her partner. "We've gotta go talk to Warner, El. She's got something she says we need to see."

"Yeah," Elliot sighed. "Right."

"Fin," Olivia said, as she walked out with Elliot, "It's just dinner, with Casey, calm down."

Fin nodded, feeling anything but calm, as he watched Olivia and Elliot leave the bullpen. He picked up the phone, dialed Casey's number and held his breath. He didn't get a chance to say anything, though, as four loud gunshots, a conversation of bullets, rang trhough the hall. "Somebody call a bus!" a male voice yelled. "We got three people down out here!" another voice, a woman, yelled.

Fin hung up on Casey and ran out into the hall. Cragen and Munch bolted from the room, too, and they were all stunned, shocked, and panic-stricken at the sight before them. "Oh, God," Cragen mumbled, running to the bleeding, coughing people on the cold station floor. "We gotta get that bus here, now people!"

Her eyes met his. His hand slid over and clutched hers, they both squeezed, reassuring the other that they were okay. They dragged their bodies toward each other with the little energy they had left, and held on to each other, and to life, hoping they made it. They were moving, breathing, existing. The third person, however, didn't appear to be that lucky.

**A/N: What just happened? Who's shot? Who's not moving? Review! And I shall tell you! **


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Life was almost lost for three people. Who's responsible? How will the unit cope? **

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and characters belong to Dick Wolf. Story belongs to TStabler© Read it? Love it? Review it!**

"You are not okay, Olivia," Cragen said, peering down at her over her hospital bed.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Oh, Christ," she muttered. "I'm fine! You're acting like I've never been shot before!"

"Okay," Cragen said, skeptically. "You've been shot before. But this time, you died, Benson. You were dead for a minute there. That has never happened before."

"I didn't die, Cap!" Olivia yelled. "The monitor came off of my finger, jeez! Will you calm the fuck down?"

Cragen, trying to hold it together, shook his head and turned to the bed next to her. "And you! You just got full use of that shoulder back, now it's…"

"It's just a shoulder," Elliot said, shrugging. "She had shitty aim, Cap. We're both alive. We're both going to be just fine."

Cragen folded his arms and shook his head again. "You are two of the most stubborn people I have ever met. You both could have died, if she'd had better aim! The two of you, you're lying here with severe injuries, and…"

"And we're trying not to think about it," Olivia said, sternly. "Ever think about that?" she asked. "Did it ever cross your mind that I'm trying, very hard, to forget that we could have died? That I'm trying to forget that I watched my best friend shoot my fiancée, and then turn her gun on me? That I'm trying to forget that I shot her? That she's in a fucking coma because…"

"Liv," Elliot interrupted, his voice breaking as he watched her fighting the tears and the pain, "We both shot her. It's impossible to tell who…"

"I'm sorry," Cragen said with a sniffle. "I didn't mean to make you upset. I just…I came so close to losing you two."

Elliot sighed, dropped his head to his pillow, and looked over at Olivia. "We all came close to losing each other, Cap."

Cragen nodded. "I'll leave you two alone. I'm gonna wait outside for Trevor, Casey and Maureen. Get some rest, and don't do anything that'll rip those stitches out."

"Cap!" Olivia shouted, surprised, sniffling.

"Just sayin'," Cragen chuckled. "I'll be back soon."

Olivia watched him leave, and as soon as the door was shut, she sat up, seething in pain, and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She pulled out her IV with a hiss and tugged off the heart monitor again, knowing that it would bring the nurses in, but she didn't care.

"What the hell are you doing, woman?" Elliot asked, his eyes wide.

"Pulling out my stitches," Olivia mumbled, gripping onto the bed posts as she slid her feet around, making her way over to him.

"Jesus Christ, Livvy," Elliot spat, moving over in his bed, knowing where she was heading. "What is wrong with you, baby? You're gonna hurt yourself."

Olivia practically fell onto the mattress, pulled her feet up, and wrapped her one mobile arm around Elliot. "I needed to be here, with you."

The door swung open and three nurses with a crash cart came running in, but the minute they saw the scene before them, they sighed and shook their heads. "Might as well make you comfortable over there, then," one of the nurses said with a chuckle. She moved over and helped the pair settle in together, and moved Olivia's monitor and IV over to her side of Elliot's bed.

"You're not making me move," Olivia noticed. "Why?"

"You're stubborn, and you're a cop," the nurse said, sternly, in a thick Southern accent. "You'd only move back the second I left causing more stress and injury to yourself, and if I tried to make you move again, you'd probably arrest me. No harm in cuddling with your lover is there, sugar? Love heals all wounds, and you two have plenty of wounds that need healing." She fluffed Olivia's pillow for her and said, "I'll bring up some lunch now that you're both awake. You need to eat, Mommy."

"Mommy?" Olivia gasped. She and Elliot watched the nurse leave, both in too much shock to move, blink, or breathe.

* * *

"Munch," Fin said, looking over at his partner who was sitting in Elliot's chair, spinning it around, mumbling to himself. "Man, they're okay. Cut it out. You're makin' me nervous."

Munch shook his head. "I don't get it," he said. "Alex. Alex Cabot. Assistant District Attorney, Alexandra Cabot, shot them. She wanted to kill Elliot."

"Oh, like she didn't mean to shoot Olivia?" Fin spat, now angry.

"She didn't," Munch said. "Carter said Olivia jumped on top of Elliot and curled herself up around him. As soon as Olivia was hit, Alex stopped shooting, and now, because they both shot back, her life is hanging in the balance, and I can't bring myself to care," he explained.

Fin shrugged. "She went nuts, man. Love makes you do stupid shit. Love makes you crazy."

"I know," Munch said. "I've been married four times, Fin. I'm an expert on love-induced psychosis. I never tried to kill anyone, though."

"Alex was a few sandwiches short of a picnic to begin with, man," Fin said, raising an eyebrow. "We have to get back to work. I think we need to…"

Fin was interrupted when Cragen came in, bolting toward his office. He walked in and slammed the door, hard.

"This isn't gonna be a good day, is it?" Fin asked Munch, who shook his head and leaned back in Elliot's chair.

* * *

"She called me 'Mommy," Olivia whispered, turning to Elliot after watching the door for five minutes.

"Yeah," Elliot whispered, "She did." Not wanting to get his hopes up, he justified, "She's southern, Livvy. It could have been..."

"I don't think so," Olivia interrupted, a gleam in her eye. She reached over and pushed the call button, hoping a nurse or doctor could tell her.

Elliot, smiling like a fool, took her hand and said, "You think you are?"

Olivia shrugged. "It's possible," she sighed, dropping her head to Elliot's shoulder. "We've been trying like hell," she laugehd.

Elliot placed a kiss on the top of her head, and said, "I love you, Livvy."

As Olivia brought her head up to return the sentiments, the nurse came back in, carrying two trays of food, one loaded with fresh fruit, and with a chuckle, she asked, "Couldn't wait?"

"Why did you call me 'Mommy?" Olivia asked, her heart pounding.

The nurse tilted her head. "Mum, then? Mom? Mother? Momma?"

Elliot chuckled. "She's pregnant, then? Really?"

"You...you didn't know?" the nurse asked, shocked. "The doctors all were very amazed at the way you shielded your child, sugar!"

"Oh, God!" Olivia yelped. "I was shot! A lot! The baby…"

The nurse brushed her hand over Olivia's arm. "Calm down, sugar! The baby's just fine, and everyone thought you knew..."

"No," Olivia said, silent tears making their way down her cheeks. "I was just holding onto Elliot," she said. "I'm...a mommy."

"I'm a daddy," Elliot whispered, moving his hand to her belly. "Well, again, but you know what I mean," he sniffled, kissing her neck and letting the silent, soft tears drop.

"Yeah," Olivia whispered with a nod, resting her hand over his. "Oh, my God, El, if I didn't move...if I didn't drop to you..."

"Shh," Elliot hushed, laying a finger over her lips. "Livvy, baby," he said with tears still in his eyes, "We're having a baby."

Olivia let out a soft chuckle. "Yeah, we are, baby. It figures," she said.

"What?" Elliot asked, nuzzling her nose.

Olivia kissed him, ignoring the pull at her stitches. "Even when we're fighting for our lives, you still manage to keep me happy, wrapped up in the most backwards relationship in the world."

Elliot laughed and kissed her. "And you wouldn't have it any other way," he whispered against her lips.

The nurse laughed to herself and sighed, aware that Olivia and Elliot had forgotten she was there. She walked out and down the hall, slipping into the room of the pretty blonde who hadn't yet woken up.

She changed the IV on the stand, then loomed over the bed for a moment, hanging her head in pity. "Oh, sugar," she said. "You certainly picked the wrong people to mess with, didn't you? I just hope if you come out of this alive, you have the good sense to forget all about Olivia Benson, child." She pulled down the sheets to change the bandages, trying to skirt around the tubes and wires that were keeping her alive. "Tragic," the nurse mumbled.

"Not really," a young, female voice from the doorway said, with a sigh between words.

"Oh," the nurse said, turning around, "She can't have visitors."

The girl stepped into the room and nodded. "I'm not here to see Miss Cabot, I just wanted to see that she was really…is she gonna wake up?"

"Can't say," said the charming Southern nurse. "You shouldn't see her like this, sugar. Who are you here for? I can take you to them."

"Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler," the girl said. "I'm their daughter."

The nurse smiled. "Oh, Maureen!"

Maureen quirked an eyebrow. "How did you know my…"

"Your parents are fine, sugar," the nurse said, interjecting as her eyes widened, leading Maureen out of Alex's room and up the hall. "And they have wonderful news for you, honey."

"Okay, great. But you still didn't tell me how you knew…"

"Didn't your momma ever tell you that it's rude to ask questions?" the nurse spat, interrupting. She ushered Maureen into Olivia and Elliot's room, then left quickly, heading back to the man corridor to make a phone call. This case was getting to her, getting too personal, and she needed to call in someone who knew the victims, she was gonna have to tell them everything, soon.

**A/N: Who is the nurse? What case? How did she know Maureen? Who is she calling? And how does the news of a baby speed up the process of putting on those little gold bands? Want to find out?**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Who is the nurse? What case? How did she know Maureen? Who is she calling? And how does the news of a baby speed up the process of putting on those little gold bands? **

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and characters belong to Dick Wolf. Story belongs to TStabler© Read it? Love it? Review it!**

"I'm gonna be a big sister?" Maureen asked, excited, as Olivia and Elliot, still together in his bed, told her the news.

Olivia nodded, still trying not to cry.

"That's so cool," Maureen said, smiling.

"It's totally cool," said Elliot, choking back his own tears. He nudged the side of Olivia's face with his nose, forcing her to look at him.

She did, with the biggest smile she'd ever given him. Before she could speak, his lips were on hers, he was kissing her with more emotion than she'd felt since the first real kiss they shared. It was then that she knew, really knew, that it was all going to be okay.

"Aw, Mom, Dad," Maureen groaned. "Please, knock it off!"

Chuckling, Elliot and Olivia pulled apart, and turned to face the teenager. "Have you, uh, talked to your mother?"

"I just told her to stop playing tonsil hockey with my father!" Maureen stated, telling Elliot that Olivia was her mother.

Elliot smiled softly at his daughter. "Okay, smart ass, have you talked to Kathy?" he asked, kissing Olivia lightly on the cheek, a silent thank you for being Maureen's mother.

"She's outside," Maureen said. "She's been crying all night, actually. She's horrified at what Miss Cabot did, and she won't relax until she sees you. She just wasn't sure if…"

"Go get her," Elliot said with a nod. He wasn't really sure how he felt about Kathy being a part of their lives now, but he knew it was important to Maureen, and Olivia, that he get along with the woman.

Maureen kissed them both on the cheek and left the room, heading out to get Kathy, who really was a nervous wreck.

"When we get out of here," Elliot said, his voice gravelly, "And I'm sure I'm not gonna hurt you or break anything, I swear to God I'm locking us in our room for three fucking days, and I'm making love to you. Non-stop. For seventy-two straight hours."

"Is that a promise or a threat?" Olivia chuckled as she kissed him, loving the soft moans he was giving her, the way he nibbled just slightly on her lips, the way he told her he loved her without telling her at all.

"Both," Elliot said, smiling against her lips. He pulled her closer, feeling, but not caring about, the pull of his stitches in his shoulder. the kiss deepened again, quickly, and the fire and emotions that usually took their time building hit them in a rush of heat.

They heard the door open then, and assuming it was Maureen and Kathy they broke apart again, allowing their foreheads to stay together as they calmed their labored breathing.

"Hi," Elliot breathed, peering into Olivia's eyes.

"Hi," Olivia said with a laugh. "I think we have visitors."

Elliot nodded, and turned to face his ex-wife and daughter. When they looked, though, the person looking back at them was not Maureen. Or Kathy.

"Hello, Olivia," the man said, looking a bit sad and a bit lost.

Olivia blinked and tried to smile. "Hello, Dean."

"Porter," Elliot spat vilely, "You're really starting to get on my damn nerves. Man, we're getting married, and she's not…"

"This time," Porter interrupted, "I'm not here to try to take Olivia away from you, Stabler. I'm here to, uh, apologize."

"For what?" Olivia asked, her brow furrowing.

"You two have been the subject of a federal case for months," Dean told them, "And I didn't tell you. I've been having you followed, and at times, I was tailing you myself. Protective detail."

Olivia's eyes narrowed to bear slits. "What the hell for? We didn't do…"

"No," Porter interrupted again. "Your lives were in danger. Someone wanted you dead, Elliot, and in order to do that they needed Olivia out of the way. We had been getting tips and hints as to who it was, when and where they were planning on striking, so an agent has always beaten them to the punch. No one was there, though, when this happened." He gestured to their still wounded bodies, lying in the bed, huddled together. "I'm sorry, Alex was never a suspect."

Elliot blinked, looked back at Dean, and asked, "Who was?"

"Recent parolees of yours," Porter said. "Garner, Foreman, Taylor, all your violent perps who've been holding grudges. And a few ex-cops, former partners of yours, Elliot, who resent you for what you've become."

Olivia shook her head. "Oh, God. So, you've been watching us? You know about, well, us?"

"Yeah," Dean said, looking away. "Congratulations on the kid, Olivia. I know you, uh, you want kids. You too, Stabler."

"Thanks," Elliot said, smugly.

"How much…how long have you been…shit, Dean," Olivia sputtered.

Dean looked up at the ceiling, took a breath, then forced himself to look at her. "We've been watching you for three months, and we...well, I, that is, I saw everything you two have done. Mostly. We didn't have the bathroom or the bedroom under surveillance. At least, not during the day."

"You keep saying 'we'," Elliot noticed. "Who else has been invading our privacy?"

Dean sighed again, then pushed open the door. A woman in a white dress came in, smiling. "This is Agent Dana Lewis. She's been…"

"The nurse?" Olivia gasped.

Dana, her southern accent thick as ever, said, "Sugar, you know we couldn't let you die. You two had the best medical care federal money could buy. We certainly weren't gonna let anything happen to you. Porter, here, seems rather attached to you both."

"Both?" Elliot scoffed.

Dean squeezed the bridge of his nose and said, "She's important to me, you're important to her, figure it out, Stabler."

Elliot was stunned. He pulled Olivia closer to him and said, "Well, thanks." he looked at Porter and nodded. "I mean, really, thanks."

Olivia looked at Elliot, then turned back to the two agents in her room. "So, was it Alex? Or was this just…"

"No," Lewis interjected. "She had her own motives. We're still huntin' for the original threat. We're gonna get the son of a bitch, sugar. I promise."

Olivia paled, but nodded. "Thank you," she said, "But why weren't we told about all of this?"

Dean smirked at her. "I know you, Olivia. You and Stabler would have gone looking for the bastard yourselves. I couldn't…_we_ couldn't risk letting you wander willingly into a trap and get yourselves killed."

Elliot let his mouth curl into an evil grin. Dean, himself, had felt the need to protect Olivia, and for her, he'd protected Elliot. He nodded toward Dean and said, "Porter, since you're obviously so attached to both of us, we'll be sure to invite you to the…"

"Don't," Dean spat, cutting him off. "I'm happy for you, really, but I don't want to witness…I won't be there to watch her…yeah, I'm not coming."

Elliot smirked. He thought so. "The invitation's as good as in the mail, Porter. Come or don't. Just know that…we both, uh, want you there."

Olivia shot him a look and her eyes gleamed. She knew that Elliot only wanted Dean there to gloat. To prove he'd won. It was that cocky, conceited side of Elliot that she secretly loved. He had every right in the world to be that arrogant.

"Now that you know," Lewis said, "We can keep the both of you, and your captain, informed."

Olivia looked up at Dean, suddenly, and asked, "Did Cragen know about this?"

"He did," Dean said, nodding. "That's why he wasn't sending you out as much. And that's why Huang had to be with you."

"Right," Elliot said with a smirk and nod. "Huang's with the FBI."

Olivia dropped her head to Elliot's shoulder. "That's why Cragen got so scared and pissed off when he thought I..."

"Yeah," Elliot said, cutting her off.

The door opened again, this time the two expected guests came in, and shut with a click. "Elliot! Oh, God, Olivia," Kathy sobbed, running to the side of the bed. "I'm so sorry…I should have…I didn't know she was capable of…"

"Kathy," Elliot said, closing his eyes. "Calm down. We're fine. See?"

Kathy nodded. "I just…I always knew I'd get a phone call like this. I have always known that one day someone would call and tell me you'd both been shot. Hurt, or worse, and I thought I'd be prepared. I wasn't. God, I wasn't."

"It's okay," Elliot said, holding Olivia's hand as he watched his ex-wife nearly break down at the thought of losing them.

"No," Kathy said, sniffling, "It's not. Elliot, I could never live with myself if you…if you didn't know. If you died not knowing."

"Not knowing what?" Elliot asked, now nervous, scared, his heart pounding in his chest. "What?"

Kathy turned and looked at the other three people, who were staring. "Do you mind?" she asked snippily.

Dean and Dana left, and Maureen looked at them all nervously, as she, too, left the room.

"Okay," Elliot said, struggling to sit up straight. Olivia, ignoring her own pain, helped him. "Spill, Kathy. What's this about?"

Kathy took a deep breath and said, "We, uh, you and I…God, you felt so guilty about the divorce. Elliot, we were never legally married. That's why Donnelly processed things so quick…"

"What?" Elliot barked. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Kathy sighed. "Elliot, I was seventeen and pregnant, and I knew you only asked me to marry you because you were Catholic, and moral, and a good man," she said. "I never signed the license, and I never filed the…"

"Hold the fuck on," Elliot growled. "I wasted sixteen years of my life? I stayed with you out or responsibility…when I could have left any time I wanted?"

"Why are you telling us this now?" Olivia asked, fresh tears, of joy, in her eyes. She'd get to be his first wife. Legally.

Kathy blinked. "Because," she sighed. "Elliot, you're Catholic. Very Catholic. I know it killed you to go through a divorce, it being a mortal sin and all, and you were struggling with your faith, and the unfairness of being in love with someone else while you were married…" she paused, then looked at Elliot, right in the eyes. "You don't have to worry about your soul, Elliot. Mine is the one that's in danger, here. I lied to you. I…loved you, in my own way, and I couldn't let you go until I had a good reason to."

Elliot, stunned, swallowed his anger and looked up at Olivia. "We're doing this, baby. Everything you deserve, and everything I wanted the first time that I never got. This wedding, since it's gonna be the first for _both_ of us," he said bitterly, "Is going to be in-fucking-credible. And it's gonna be soon."

Olivia, shocked by what she'd just heard, and what Elliot had just said, looked back at him. "How soon?" she asked.

Elliot looked at Kathy, smirking with a menacing gleam in his eyes, and asked, "Do you have any connections to reception halls from that shop you work in?"

Kathy nodded. "Yes," she said, sniffling.

"Call every single one of them, and book the first one that's available for the twentieth," Elliot told her.

"Of what?" Olivia asked, her eyes wide.

"May," Elliot said, as if saying "Duh."

Olivia stared at him for a moment. "That's only…"

"Three weeks," Elliot said. "I know. Just enough time to get full use of my shoulder back, and your wounds to heal. Kathy will book the hall, you and Casey will find dresses for the girls, I'll go with Fin to rent tuxes, we're gonna be fine."

"You're crazy," Olivia said, smiling.

"Only about you," Elliot said as he kissed her.

Olivia pulled back a bit, knowing Kathy was still there.

"Elliot," Kathy said, "You're not…I mean, I assumed you'd be pretty fucking mad."

"I was," Elliot said, then he looked at Olivia and smiled brightly. "But then, I got pretty fucking happy. Ya know, Livvy, you're gonna be my wife. The first real Misses Stabler. That makes me incredibly happy." He turned to Kathy and sighed. "I'm pissed that it took almost seventeen years for you to tell me, Kathy, but, you've given me a gift, here. You gave me the relief I needed that I wasn't the world's biggest asshole for falling in love with Olivia, and you gave me the solace of knowing I wasn't committing a horrible sin. You took a huge weight off my shoulders, Kathy. Thank you."

Kathy, smiling at them, said, "You're welcome. You deserved, and had a right, to know, and now the both of you can rest easy knowing that you are, in fact, each other's firsts." She winked at them and turned to leave. "I'll call those halls, and I'll find a great one for you. I'm sending Maureen back in."

Olivia and Elliot, still clutching each other tightly, nodded at Kathy as she left.

She walked down the hall and signaled to Maureen to go back into the room, then turned left, heading for Alex's room. She walked in, stood at the foot of the bed, and glared at the unconscious blonde. "I swear," she muttered, hoping Alex could hear her, "If you do anything to get in their way again, I will kill you myself." She dropped her head and walked out of the room, only moments before Alex opened her eyes.

**A/N: Alex is awake! Does she remember anything? Anyone? Who was really after Olivia and Elliot? How will they finish planning their wedding in three weeks? And will Dean actually show up? Stay tuned!**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Alex is awake! Does she remember anything? Anyone? Who was really after Olivia and Elliot? What's next in the wedding planning?**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters belong to Dick Wolf. Story, dialogue, narrative and plot belong to TStabler©**

"Are you two sure you're okay?" Munch asked, watching them cautiously over his sunglasses. "It's only been a few days. Should you be here?"

"We're fine, Munch," Olivia said, smirking. "We can fill out 'fives and answer phones, ya know?"

Munch laughed. "You just can't stand to be away from work, Benson. Bet you hate being behind that desk, though."

Under her breath, Olivia said, "I've got no choice for at least a year."

"What?" Fin asked, hearing her.

Elliot looked at Olivia with the most content smile on his face. "Guys, Liv and I...we're having a baby," he said, not taking his eyes off of Olivia.

"Oh, my God," Munch gasped. "That's...wow."

"That was kinda my reaction," Elliot said with a chuckle, his shoulder in a sling. "When Cragen gets back we're telling him, and Liv's gonna have to be on a desk for a while."

Fin scoffed. "He ain't gonna like that, man," he said. "You won't work without her, so he's losing two..."

"We got it all figured out," Elliot interrupted. "I'll go on solo calls or out with you if I need to, and Liv and I will interrogate and investigate together. He's not losing anything. Not until her seventh month."

Fin shook his head. "Yeah, you'll do all of that with the feds on your asses. Porter's on his way down here."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "He needs to get a grip."

"He knows who was after you," Fin said, leaning back.

Cragen came bolting in, then, with a scowl on his face. "You two need to prep for court," he said, pointing to Olivia and Elliot.

"What? What case?" Olivia asked, wide-eyed. "Nothing we've done lately has gone to..."

"Alex woke up the night you signed yourselves out," Cragen said, interrupting her. "Against medical advice, might I add? We booked her as soon as we could. She doesn't remember anything, or anyone, but we arrested her anyway. Carter from homicide did. They arraigned her, and charged her with two counts of assaulting an officer and three counts of attempted murder."

Elliot looked up at his captain and raised an eyebrow. "Three, Cap?" He asked.

"Olivia's pregnant, isn't she?" Cragen questioned, his face filled with worry and hurt.

Olivia looked at Elliot, then at Cragen. "How did you know?"

Cragen tilted his head and dropped his eyes. "Really? You didn't think they'd give me copies of your charts? I wish it would have come from you, though."

Olivia blinked, then said, "Okay, so you know. But Cap, legally, it's not a person yet, we never charge perps with..."

"We are now," Cragen interjected. "No one fucks with my kids."

His words hit Olivia, hard. She wasn't his kid. She wasn't even related to him, but she thought of him as a father and to know he thought of her as a daughter made her happy. Before she could express that, though, Dean Porter walked in, carrying a file.

"Stabler," Porter barked, "It gives me great pleasure to tell you that this is all your fault."

Elliot rolled his eyes. "Just tell us who was after us, Porter,"

Dean chuckled. "Aside from the crazy lawyer who wants to fuck your fiancée's brains out?"

"Porter!" Cragen yelled.

"It was his old partner, Jo," Porter said. "Apparently, she was also waiting for him to leave Kathy and was kind of pissed when he jumped right to Olivia."

"Woah, she?" snapped Olivia. "Jo was a she? I didn't know she was a she, Elliot!"

"Relax," Elliot said, holding up a hand to her. "There was nothing between us, Liv! Never! I wasn't even attracted to her. I didn't even...we didn't even get along."

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Then why did she want us dead, El?" Olivia asked, folding her arms.

Dean threw the file on Olivia's desk. "That's why," he said. "She got jealous, Olivia. She saw the partnership that you two had, saw what it had become, got pissed off that she never had that with him. She heard that you two were engaged, then realized that she never would, either. You know she had plans to return to SVU, right?"

"Uh, no," Elliot said. "I didn't. I haven't talked to her in over two years, Porter."

"I suggest," Porter said, turning to Cragen, "That you let her come back. We can't charge her with anything but conspiracy so far. If we get her on something tangible, solid, we can make the charges stick."

Cragen furrowed his brow and "You want me to let this woman, who hired someone to kill Olivia and Elliot, into my squad, in the hopes that she'll do it again?"

"No," Porter stated. "I want you to invite her back, you know Olivia and Elliot won't change shit about they operate, tell her about the baby and invite her to the wedding." He turned to Elliot and said, "It'll send her over the edge, she'll crack and she'll tell you everything she did to get you to away from each other."

"Or it'll send her over the edge and she'll shoot us," Elliot yelled. "Again!"

"That will not happen," Porter promised. "Not on my watch," he said.

Cragen sighed. "Why don't you two go home, huh? Spend some time with your kid. I'll, uh, deal with the whole Jo thing."

"Yeah," Elliot said, rising from his seat. "Some on, Liv." He got up, as did Olivia. On their way out, though, Elliot's phone chirped. He looked at it and seemed confused, but waited until he got to the elevator before opening the text message. "Baby," he said to Olivia. "It's Cragen."

"Why didn't he just say whatever it is when we were in there?" Olivia asked, confused, as she moved closer to him.

Elliot handed her his phone and said, "Because he just told us we can't trust Porter."

* * *

"You can't do that, Dad!" Maureen yelled, putting her hands on her hips.

"I can," Elliot said, smirking. "I can and I did. With one arm in a sling, actually. Livvy, baby, gimme the card, please?"

Olivia sighed as she flipped through the deck, finding the card and handing it to Elliot. "That's really not very nice, El," she reprimanded.

"Well, Maureen bought Park Place when I already had Boardwalk. I'm just getting even," Elliot explained with a chuckle.

"I only did that because you took the shoe! I'm always the shoe, Daddy!" Maureen yelled, folding her arms.

"Okay," Olivia said, lifting the game board off of the table. "No more Monopoly! How about a movie?"

Maureen unfolded her arms and got out of her seat. "I'll make the popcorn," she said.

"I'll limp painfully over to the couch," Olivia said chuckling.

"I'll help you with my good arm," Elliot quipped.

Olivia shook her head. "I can't believe Alex doesn't remember anything," she said. "And can you believe Cragen is charging her with..."

"Yeah, Livvy," Elliot said, getting settled on the couch and cuddling with Olivia, "I can. He's very protective of us, baby. He thinks of our kid as his grandchild, and almost losing him, or her, pissed him off even more, honey."

"El?" Olivia asked, turning to face him.

"Yeah, Livvy?" Elliot replied, nuzzling her nose, almost kissing her.

Olivia pressed her lips to his, gently, and asked, "Do you want a boy or a girl?"

"As long as it's healthy, I don't care, baby," Elliot replied, kissing her again. "And you know, of course, this is only the first of many, don't you?"

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "How many?"

"Brady Bunch, move over," Elliot joked before kissing her deeply. He let his hand run up, under her shirt, over her back, pulling her closer, gently.

"Oh, come on! I wanna watch a movie, not Pay-Per-View Live!" Maureen yelled as she walked back in with a bowl of freshly popped popcorn.

Olivia and Elliot chuckled, but they didn't break apart. There was a knock on the door, saving Maureen from watching the game of tonsil hockey progress into overtime. "I'll get it," she said sarcastically, "As if either of you even heard it." She moved toward the door and swung it open, then slammed it shut. "Dad!"

"What?" Elliot yelled, pulling away from Olivia.

"It's that woman," Maureen said. "Jo?"

Elliot looked at Olivia, grabbed his gun off of the coffee table, and rose off of the couch.

"Elliot," a male voice rang through the door.

"Is that Cragen?" Olivia asked, confused.

Elliot aimed the gun, then looked at Maureen. "Open it, Mo," he said.

Maureen opened the door, then ran over to the couch, leaping next to Olivia. Cragen walked in, followed by Elliot's old partner, a blonde woman, and they saw the gun, freezing. "Elliot," Cragen said, "Put it down. She's not gonna hurt you. I called her."

"Why?" Elliot asked, not lowering the gun.

"Because she's the one who's been tailing you, protecting you. She knows who's been trying to hurt you and Olivia, and she's the one who's been keeping me informed about it all," Cragen explained.

Elliot lowered the gun, slowly, and looked at his captain. "So we were right the first time?"

"Yeah," Cragen said. "Jo has already called Agent Lewis and explained, and she's willing to play the double agent. We just have to wait for him to make his next move. Until he does, you two are never to be more then one hundred feet away from Jo."

"How the hell is that gonna happen?" Olivia asked, her arm around Maureen.

Jo smirked, looking at Elliot. "I'm moving in next door."

"Wonderful," Olivia said, sarcasm dripping from the word.

Elliot chuckled at his fiancée, then turned to sit by her. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I told you, Livvy, I'm not interested in Jo, not one bit. I never was."

"The feeling's mutual, Stabler," Jo said, still smirking. "I give you a lot of credit, Detective Benson. I could never put up with him the way you do. Oh, I brought your mail up for you." She handed Elliot several envelopes, one rather large one stuck out.

Elliot's eyes widened. He got Olivia's attention and opened the flap. "Livvy," he whispered.

"She didn't," Olivia gasped.

"Mind filling us in?" Cragen asked, amused.

Olivia looked up. "We asked Kathy to book us a reception hall for the twentieth."

"That's in less than three weeks!" Cragen said, stunned.

"Yeah," Elliot said. "And she did it." He held up the contract, smirking. "We're getting married at the Waldorf."

**A/N: Ended it on a happy note, with a final answer on the real bad guy! How do they catch him? And the wedding of a lifetime, with a side of drama. If you say so!**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Everything she's been through hits Olivia. Hard. **

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters belong to Dick Wolf. Story, dialogue, narrative and plot belong to TStabler©**

Olivia was lying in bed, one hand resting on her stomach, the other in front of her face, her pinky and thumb spinning the gold band around and around her finger by the diamond. she was engaged. To Elliot. A baby. A wedding. Nearly killed by her best friend. An ex-boyfriend after them, hiding behind his shield. It was all making her think. Making her wonder.

"You think very loudly," Elliot mumbled from his spot, face buried in the crook of her neck.

Olivia smirked and chuckled quietly.

"What's got your gears turning, baby?" Elliot asked, moving his head only slightly to look at her.

"Why do you believe in God?" she asked, as if she asked him what his favorite color was. So easily. Simply.

Elliot was taken aback, not expecting that question. "I'm Catholic," he stated.

"Yeah, that's not a reason," she said. "That's not why. Elliot, _why_ do you believe?"

"That's a...why are you asking me this?" Elliot asked, his eyebrows screwing up in waves.

Olivia sighed. "Because I don't," she said in a matter-of-fact way.

"I know that," Elliot said, nodding once.

"You have never, not once, asked me why," she said. "So, I'm asking you. Why do you believe, what makes you so sure that there's something else out there? Someone watching over us?" She paused, still twirling her ring. "How can you, with all of the shit we see, day in and day out, the molestation, the murder, the sickness and filth, tell me that God is...I mean, if he is up there, he's fucking pissed."

"It's not that...simple," Elliot shrugged.

Olivia shook her head. "Why not? Why can't you give me a reason, El? Give me your one, solid, reason. Convince me there's a God."

"Livvy, I can't," Elliot said, shifting to turn on his side. "That's why it's called faith. Believing in something. Not because you can see it, or touch it, just because you know it's there."

"How do you know?" Olivia asked.

"How do you not know?" Elliot retorted.

Olivia hadn't looked at him yet, she was still staring at her hand, watching the diamond orbit around her finger, propelled by her thumb and reeled around by her pinky. "I'm a detective. One of the reasons I became one is because I'm a big fan of cold, hard facts. Proof. Evidence. I need to be certain. I need to see it. I need to touch it. Then it's real." She stopped twirling her ring for a moment, then set it spinning in the other direction. "Where's the proof?"

Elliot sat up straight now, hearing a new emotion in her voice. "Um, well, Maureen. She is..." he paused, thinking that as much as he believed God was responsible, Olivia would use genetics and science as a rebuttal. She'd win. "Or...how about the fact that you and I are alive? That our baby's alive?" he questioned, looking down at her. "One more inch and the bullet would have ripped straight through my heart. If you hadn't wrapped yourself so tightly around me, the two that hit you would have hit you in the stomach, Livvy. Tell me that someone wasn't watching over us."

"Alex had bad aim, and I'm a very well trained cop, Elliot," Olivia said, still unblinking, still not looking at him. "That wasn't God, that was instinct. At least, that's what I've been telling myself all week. Because I refuse to let myself get caught up in...forget it."

"I'm not forgetting it, baby," Elliot sighed. "What's bothering you, huh? You didn't wake up at two in the morning to criticize my religious convictions."

"I didn't wake up at all," Olivia said, blinking once. "I never went to sleep."

Elliot brushed her hair back and said, "You know what I meant."

"Doesn't the Bible, and every other religious book in the world, tell you that you should only marry within your faith, or someone has to convert?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah, baby, but if you haven't noticed, we're not getting married in a church," Elliot said, trying to give her a soft, reassuring smile, but she wasn't looking at him. "I'm not asking you, nor will I ever ask you, to compromise your...Livvy, I'm not going to impose my religion on you."

"But you want to," Olivia said. "You want me to believe, you want me to go to services with you on Sundays, you want to get married in a church, El, and you can't tell me you don't. Just tell me why you believe in God."

"Because of you," Elliot said too quickly, without thinking about it.

Olivia did it, then. She looked at him. Her ring stopped moving. The world stopped turning. She sat up.

Elliot sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I grew up Catholic, Livvy. Very Catholic, and for a very long time, I believed in God because I _had_ to. When I turned seventeen, and Kathy got pregnant, I thought for sure that it was my punishment for having pre-marital sex, so I married her, hoping to ward off any other smiting from God." He chuckled and shook his head. "In the Marines, I believed in God because I needed to hold on to the thought Jesus and righteousness, just in case I died. Ya know, that's why I got the tattoo. To remind me that self-sacrifice was an honor, and that if I died fighting for my country, I'd kinda be like Jesus. I killed myself to save the rest of the world, to save a bunch of fucking idiots who can't save themselves, like Jesus." He looked at Olivia, who was looking at him intently with a confused expression, waiting for the part about her. "When I came home, safe and sound, and started my life with Kathy and Maureen, ya know, I started to lose that faith. Kathy wasn't the warm, loving woman she used to be, and we were struggling with money and just having a really shitty time of things. I thought God was challenging me, at first, but I felt so alone, so completely alone. Ten years into the marriage, at the age of twenty-seven, I had lost it completely. I had completely given up, because I knew that a true, loving, charitable God would have at least made things easy for me, since I did the right thing in His eyes. Since I was being a good Catholic."

Olivia sighed, rubbing his shoulders. "Elliot..."

"I was finally out of school, out of the academy, out of the ranks, pulling in a pretty decent paycheck as a detective, when I lost my faith. My partner, this was Jo, was the Devil. She made my life Hell, Livvy. Not the way you did, I'm getting there, but she really...she was mean, she would blame all of her screw-ups on me and Cragen always believed her. She'd make me do all the paperwork by myself, and yeah, she hit on me, a lot, but I kept turning her down. I wasn't interested."

Olivia had to sigh in relief at that. "So at this point you're faithless," she said, making sure she understood.

"Almost," Elliot said. "The final blow came when Mike, my partner after Jo, died in the line of duty. I blamed myself. I thought it was my fault. I thought that I had missed something, or it was because I hesitated but, Livvy, I wasn't even there! I wasn't there and I thought it was my fault, because I felt guilty about everything else in my life."

"Why weren't you there?" Olivia asked, furrowing her brow. "You never let me go anywhere alone."

"And I never will," Elliot said. Then he took a breath and said, "I was at my father's funeral. I buried my father the day Mike died, and I blamed myself for both deaths for the longest time. I couldn't believe in a God that would let the two most important people in my life die like that, in a way, killing myself because I lost a big part of who I was."

Olivia, sitting up now, caressed his face lightly. Silently.

"A week after Mike's funeral, Cragen called me into his office," Elliot said, looking Olivia in the eyes. "He introduced me to my new partner, and admittedly, at first I thought it was gonna be hell. She was young, she was breathtakingly gorgeous, and she was a rookie from a different precinct. I was gonna have to train her, deal with her PMS and cattiness, and to top it off I was gonna have to try like hell to keep my hands, eyes, and lips off of her. I knew it was gonna be a pain in the fucking ass to keep myself from falling in love with her. I had never wanted anyone so fast in my life."

Olivia chuckled. "Me either," she said.

"Little by little, Livvy, you gave me my faith back. You were nothing like what I'd thought you'd be. You became my rock. Instantly, I knew I could tell you anything, and I did. God, you were like my therapist. I learned from you as I taught you. It was always a give and take with us, and the first time you saved my life, a month into the job, I knew what you were. You were my guardian angel. God sent you to me to make up for the pile of shit he handed me for the first thirty-one years of my life." He pulled Olivia closer. "I knew, it took six months, that I needed to make you mine. All mine. Then the beginning of this year, Kathy kicks me out, and you willingly take me in, and it was like God said, 'Here you go, Stabler. Ask and ye shall receive!"

Olivia laughed as she nuzzled his nose.

"And now here we are, getting married, having a baby," he told her, smiling. "If you can't admit that that's a fucking miracle, then there really is no hope for you."

"That's why I'm still awake," Olivia said, sighing as she let herself be taken into his arms completely. She rested her head on his chest and said, "I was thinking almost the exact same thing, El. I didn't want to, because it goes against everything I know, everything that's logical to me." She ran a hand over his face is a soft, loving gesture. "You came into my life for a reason, at a time when I needed you the most. I know someone was watching over us that night, El, keeping us, and the baby, safe. And this baby is everything I've ever wanted because it means that...or I hope that it means that this is forever." She pulled back from him and looked into his eyes. "When you were finding your faith again," she said, blinking, "I was finding mine. Period."

"Wait," Elliot said, gasping and smirking. "Did you just tell me, Olivia Benson, that you believe in God?"

"Not definitively," Olivia said. "But I believe in _something_. I just need more proof."

Elliot pulled her toward him. "Hold our child in your arms for the first time," he said softly. "It'll be all the proof you need." He kissed her, then said, "I love you, Livvy."

"I love you, too," Olivia replied. "More than you will ever know."

"I know," Elliot said. "Believe me, I know." He kissed her slowly, then pulled her down, flattening on the bed, hoping to bring them a little closer to God, when there was a knock on the door. They knew who it was.

"She doesn't have cameras in here, does she?" Olivia asked, looking down at Elliot, her hand in a very sensitive area.

Elliot rolled his eyes as he felt that particular hand move. "Baby, please," he groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. "I don't wanna answer the door, hard as a fucking steel pipe, with Jo there staring."

Olivia chuckled and got off of him. They both got out of the bed and Elliot opened the door. Jo was there, with Trevor and George.

"Okay, so I've got Poison Ivy and the Ambiguously Gay Duo at my door," Olivia said. "We're fresh outta candy, come back next Halloween."

"Hey," Trevor said, chuckling, "We're not here with her. Our apartment building caught on fire."

"Oh, God!" Olivia yelped. "Is it..."

Trevor interrupted. "Everything's fine, but we need to be out for the night, until the smoke clears. I was gonna call and ask you, when District Attorney Barbie over here ran over and pounded on the damn door."

Olivia looked at Elliot, and he nodded. "Come on in, guys."

"Did we wake you?" George asked, stepping in and putting a bag down, sitting on the couch next to Trevor.

Elliot sighed, running a hand down his face. "No, no," he said, stepping aside to let them in. "You just, uh, we were just talking."

Jo raised an eyebrow. "Yeah," she said, looking Elliot up and down, smirking. She handed him a file and threw off her jacket, making herself comfortable on the large, leather couch. "Porter's planning on making a move," she said. "Lewis just called me, and he seems to be using the excuse that I know where you live to keep a closer eye on you."

"Good," Elliot said. "Get off of my couch, Jo."

Jo blinked. Smirked and shifted in her seat. She let her eyes travel down the length of Elliot's body again and said, "But it's so...big."

"Woah," Elliot said, holding Olivia back as she tried to lunge for Jo. "Honey, no punching bitchy lawyers while you're pregnant."

Olivia looked back up at Elliot, shook her head in annoyance, and walked back into the bedroom.

Elliot looked at Jo, his eyes narrow, and said, "Jo, either get out, stay, whatever. Keep Trevor and George company, I'm going back to bed." He turned and over his shoulder he said, "Goodnight."

"Yeah," Jo said, rolling her eyes. "As soon as I bag Porter, it will be," she said, getting up and glancing evilly at the bedroom door as she left.

**A/N: What's up with Jo? What's Porter after? Has Elliot really given Olivia the one thing no one else ever has: faith? All those answers at the wedding, next chap! If you want it. **


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: The wedding brings a few surprises, but seeing as how it all moved backwards, is it really surprising?**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its characters belong to Dick Wolf. This plot, the dialogue and narrative of this story, belong to TStabler©**

"Excuse me," a young blonde said, walking into the bullpen. "Is this the Special Victim's Unit?"

"Yeah," a gruff voice said. "It is. You're in the right place. Cragen said you'd be coming by, but we're just the covering shift. Can we help you?"

The blonde blinked and looked around, her face contorting in confusion, as if she was remembering something. "No, I just wanted to meet the people I was arrested for shooting. I don't remember any...I wanted to see if...the trial's coming up and my lawyer told me I should...where are they?"

"Saint Paul's," the man said, dryly. "They're getting married today."

The blonde smirked. "Thank you," she said. She walked out with a destination, a purpose, and a determined look on her face.

* * *

The church was packed. Elliot, standing by the pulpit, looked around and took a deep breath. He had been able to convince his priest that Olivia was willing to become a practicing Catholic, book the date, and sign the necessary papers all within the last week, and now here he was, getting married to the only woman he ever completely loved, in a church. They'd done everything backwards, and this was the one thing Olivia wanted to give him from the beginning, the right way. Kathy had booked the Waldorf for them, and they were still using it for the reception, but Olivia knew how much a church-wedding truly meant to him, and she insisted on giving it to him.

As the cathedral doors opened, the heads turned. The girls, Maureen, Elliot'a daughter; Kathleen and Lizzie, his brother Ray's kids; Casey, Elliot's two sisters, and Melinda, in their Tiffany blue dresses, all began weeping. The men in their matcing blue vests and ties, Dickie, his nephew; Munch, Fin, Elliot's two brothers and Trevor, were in awe. Elliot stopped breathing and the tears rolled down his cheeks. They all watched Cragen walk Olivia down the aisle, Jo perched by the door, watching like a hawk for Dean Porter. The bitter expression on her face was a high contrast to the joy on everyone else's.

Cragen reached Elliot and placed Olivia's hand in his. They looked at each other, and the world stopped. Olivia smiled softly as it happened; the world had been stopping a lot lately. The priest spoke, directing the question, "Who gives this woman to this man?" to Cragen.

Cragen, teary-eyed, looked at the priest and said, "I do," and backed away slowly, taking his place next to Fin.

The priest then looked at Olivia and Elliot, smiling at both of them. He saw that they were lost in each other and chuckled to himself. He looked up at the congregation and said, "We gather here today to celebrate the union of this man and this woman in holy matrimony. They are both honored and blessed to profess their love and devotion to one another in front of all of you today, in the presence of their friends, family, and God."

Elliot squeezed Olivia's hand, a silent "thank you" for getting married in a church. They shared a look, a smile, and a feeling, as the priest continued his speech.

"Elliot and Olivia are, in every sense of the word, partners. They've promised to protect each other, guard each other, Today, they will solidify that promise for life, and..." He was interrupted when the cathedral doors opened up wide, and the blonde from the squadroom burst into the church.

"Alex!" Elliot yelled, immediately pulling Olivia behind him. He felt Olivia squeeze his waist and he rubbed her arms, trying to calm her down. They felt some relief when they saw Alex slide into the nearest pew and nod.

The priest cleared his throat and said, "As I was saying, they will solidify that promise, and make a vow to love, honor, and cherish one another for as long as they both live."

Olivia, back in her spot, chuckled to herself and mumbled under her breath, "I did that already."

Elliot, hearing her, laughed and whispered, "So did I, baby," as he gripped her hand.

"The rings," the priest demanded, holding out his hand.

Elliot's brother, Ray, placed the Tiffany blue box into the priest's hand, and stepped back, winking at his brother.

Elliot winked back, then turned toward Olivia, smiling.

The priest spoke again, but neither Olivia nor Elliot paid any attention. It was as if they had set themselves on auto-pilot, repeating the priest's words and slipping on the rings, looking deeply into each others eyes not realizing they had done so. It wasn't until the man before them declared them man and wife that they even moved.

They moved at the sound of the door opening again, the sound of Jo cocking and aiming her gun, the sound of Dean Porter laughing and dropping his own gun to the floor, and the sound of the wedding party collectively gasping.

"Figured me out, huh?" Porter asked, shaking his head.

Jo shrugged. "Wasn't hard," she said.

"I'm too late, aren't I?" Porter asked, looking at Elliot. He turned slightly to Olivia and asked, "You're really a Stabler now?"

"Yes," Olivia said, nodding.

Porter turned, glaring harshly at Alex. She looked back at him, scared and confused. "You should have finished the job the first time. Then she'd be mine," he spat.

Jo growled. "No, you ass, she'd be dead! Do you really think she could live without him?"

"I'd show her she could! I would have helped her heal!" Porter yelled, as Jo dragged him out of the church.

The congregation, mostly cops and lawayers, blinked once at the interference, chuckled, and turned back to the couple in the front.

Once again, Elliot and Olivia sighed in relief, and the priest, once again, cleared his throat. "Well," he said, "If there are no more interruptions, no more objections, and no more surprises, Elliot, you may kiss your wife."

Elliot laughed as he pulled Olivia toward him, kissing her deeply. The onlookers applauded, some still crying, and rose to their feet.

Alex looked around, clapping because she knew she was supposed to, but she wasn't showing any emotion.

They walked out, hand-in-hand, followed by their wedding party, then their guests, and when they stepped into the white Bentley that would take them to the Waldorf, Elliot kissed Olivia again. hard, nearly pressing her down into the seat. He ran his hands down her silk dress, nuzzling her nose, chin, and neck, peppering her with kisses. His hand rested over her belly and he whispered, "We're married. Really married."

"And it was everything I thought it would be," Olivia said. "Crazy people, guns, and someone getting arrested. It was just so…us…don't you think?"

Elliot chuckled and nodded. "It was. We got Porter," he said. "How did you know he'd show up like that, with his gun drawn?"

"I know him, baby," Olivia said with a shrug of her own. "I knew he wouldn't sit there and watch the ceremony, but I knew he wouldn't just stand by and let it happen, either."

"My wife is a genius," Elliot whispered, kissing her again. "My wife," he repeated, his eyes twinkling. "My pregnant wife," he laughed, caressing her belly. "You and I are leaving early. We're getting a head start on our honeymoon," he murmured in her ear as he kissed her neck.

Olivia moaned lightly, nodding. "Sounds good to me," she said, running her fingers through his hair.

The limo pulled up, the driver got out and opened their door, and they were instantly met by Alex, who looked unsure and shy. "Hello," she said.

"Hi," Elliot said, wrapping his arms protectively around Olivia.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Alex said. "I don't even know why I did it the first time. I, uh, I do remember who you are, though. That hit me in the church, and I want to congratulate you both."

Olivia felt fresh tears bubbling to the surface. This was the Alex she loved, and missed, terribly. "Thanks," she said softly.

"My lawyer told me that seeing you would spark something," Alex said, "Something I could use in court. But the only things I know now that I didn't before are your names, that I love you both dearly, and that Olivia hates cocktail onions."

"That's a random thing to remember," Elliot laughed.

"Not if you know how she found that out," Olivia whispered to him, raising an eyebrow.

Alex smirked. "I really am…confused, and very sorry for what I've done to you both. I'll leave now, and you can…"

"Stay," Olivia said, her voice cracking. She missed her friend. And the room would be filled with cops and lawyers, including Alex's own attorney. Nothing would happen. Nothing would even get a chance to happen.

"Are you sure?" Alex asked, unwilling to intrude on their special day that had almost been ruined twice.

Olivia looked at Elliot, who smiled, and she nodded. She looked down at the band of gold on her finger, ran her hand over her belly, and thought of how badly she wanted the baby to know Aunt Alex. "Yes. We want you to stay," she said, nodding.

The couple walked into the entrance to the Waldorf, ready to face their family and friends for the first time as Mister and Misses Elliot Stabler. They were walking far enough ahead of Alex not to see her grin, or the wicked gleam in her eye, signifying she was getting closer to getting what she wanted.

**A/N: Does Alex remember more than she's letting on? What do Fin, Munch, Cragen, and Jo do to Porter? And the honeymoon, of course! If you want it, clicky the button! Thank you all for sticking by me through this rough time in my life. I will be here for you, just as you have all been here for me! **


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: The reception's over: and Elliot finds out what Alex really wants. Then, the honeymoon begins, while disaster is averted at home.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its characters belong to Dick Wolf. This plot, the dialogue and narrative of this story, belong to TStabler©**

Elliot was pacing back and forth in the hallway, his tie loosened, the first two buttons of his shirt unbuttoned, flushed and out of breath. He hadn't stopped dancing with Olivia all night, but for the five minutes he left her side to go to the bathroom. Now, he was regretting ever giving into nature's call.

On the way back into the hall, he heard Alex on the phone. He hid well, listening to her conversation, and now he was handed the task of telling Olivia, the love of his life, that she wasn't any closer to getting her friend back that she was a week ago. There were things, he did learn, that she honestly didn't remember, but her plan was very clear from the one-sided conversation he listened to. At this moment, he was processing whet he heard, trying to figure out how to tell Olivia without her snapping.

"El?" Olivia asked, coming out of the ballroom to look for him. "Hey, Stabler," she said, an odd tone in her voice, when she finally found him.

Elliot smirked, looked up at her, and said, "Hey, yourself, Stabler."

"Wow," Olivia laughed. "Already?" she raised an eyebrow.

He didn't do much but smile at her, and then drop his eyes.

"Okay," Olivia said, her own face falling, "What's wrong?"

Elliot sighed. "I don't wanna tell you this," he said. "I really wish I didn't have to tell you this, because I know that you were so optimistic about getting Alex back..."

"Spill," Olivia interrupted, folding her arms. She hated when he beat around bushes and tried to protect her feelings; sometimes his great care for her got on her nerves.

Elliot took another deep breath. "It's Alex. Ya know, she's not really happy for us, she's not really as injured as she claims she is, and she's not really done making our lives hell."

"Elliot, what are you talking about?"

"I heard her," Elliot said, scratching the side of head nervously. "She was on the phone, I don't know with who, but she asked them to help her get you away from me. She told whoever it was...the words that came out of her mouth, Livvy, God I thought I was gonna have to arrest her right here in the hallway!"

Olivia gave him a dry, blank look. "Why didn't you?" she asked, surprising him.

"Baby, I didn't...well, I mean, I didn't wanna cause any problems at my wedding, at our wedding, and I didn't want to piss you off. I know what she means to you."

"Meant," Olivia said, closing her eyes. "What she meant to me, El. That girl...I just have to face the facts, my friend is gone. I'll probably never get her back. Now tell me, what exactly did she say?"

"She wants whoever it was to transfer to the unit," Elliot said. "Probably a cop, or one of her lawyer friends, and the plan, as it stands now, is for this person to seduce me, then Alex would tell you that she caught me with another woman, and you'd leave me, running to her for comfort. If it didn't work, option two is for this person to shoot me." Elliot laughed, finding humor in a situation that wasn't funny at all. "Can you believe this shit?"

"You'd never cheat on me," Olivia said, furrowing her brow.

Elliot reached for her hand and pulled her close to him, slowly looping a hand around her waist. "I know that, you know that, and I think even Alex knows that. Why do you think she has a back-up plan?"

Olivia shook her head. "It doesn't matter," she said. "Nothing matters. Just us, and our child, and the fact that if anyone tries to take away the life that you worked so hard to give me, I'll kill them myself."

Elliot laughed and held her closer, breathing her in, and he smiled against the soft skin of her perfect shoulder. "Let's go say goodbye to these people, IO tell Cragen what I know so he can keep an eye on Alex and people coming into the squad, and we're leaving."

"Where are we going, exactly?" Olivia asked, taking his hand and following him back into the large reception room at the Waldorf.

"It's a surprise," Elliot said, smirking. "I'm not telling you until we get there. But, of course, by then you'll know," he said with a shrug. He walked over to Cragen, whispered something in his ear, and gave him a hug, despite the shocked look on his face. He and Olivia walked around and said their goodbyes, fully aware that not one, but two blondes were watching their every move.

* * *

"You okay?" Elliot asked, looking at Olivia. She had just woken up from a much needed, long, nap, sleeping through most of their flight.

Olivia, staring out the window, swallowed hard and nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Why do you ask"

"You hate flying," Elliot said, smirking. "You're not fine," he whispered. "Come here." He pulled her closer to him, forced her head down on his shoulder and stroked her hair over and over.

"I'm fine," she assured him, taking a deep breath, letting his scent fill her lungs ans smiling.

"Good," Elliot said, though he didn't truly believe her. He linked hands with her, his other still running calmingly through her hair, and he said, "I love you."

"I love you," Olivia returned, looking down at her hand in his.

"I know you do," he said with a nod. He kissed her forehead and said, "You didn't run. Not once. I honestly thought you would."

Olivia looked up at him. "What would you have done if I did?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Run after you," Elliot said. He didn't need to think, he didn't hesitate. It was a clear, obvious answer. "I wasn't gonna give you up, no matter what you did. I was not going to, and I will not, let you walk away from me, Livvy. Ever. You're stuck with me now. Ya know, me being Catholic and all, marriage is forever."

Olivia gave him a raised eyebrow and a smirk. "El, you were..."

"Never married before," Elliot reminded her. "You are now, and always will be, my first and only, Livvy. In every sense of the word that matters."

Olivia softened her look, smiling warmly at him. Her eyes glinted and brightened as she looked at him, and the smile on his face matched hers. She said nothing, because there was nothing to say, and she leaned into him, caressing the side of his face gently, and kissed him so sweetly it almost made him cry. It was soft, gentle, delicate, but the fire and need, love and desire, the tumult of emotion in that kiss, made him feel everything she felt at that moment. It was more than enough to prove to him that she wasn't planning on running. Not anytime soon.

"Maureen's going to be okay with Kathy this week?" Olivia asked, pulling away from the kiss, wiping Elliot's left eye, pretending she didn't notice the tear under her thumb.

Elliot nodded. "She's not happy, but she'll be okay. She feels better about things with us now, ya know? Now that Kathy's actually being civil, Maureen doesn't mind her so much."

"Ya know, neither do I," Olivia said. "I mean, I'm still a little uncomfortable with the fact that she was with you for so long, and got more of your life than I..."

"I have given you more in the last two years than I have ever given Kathy," Elliot interrupted, his demeanor serious.

Olivia closed her eyes, rested her forehead against his, and said, "I believe that."

"It's the truth," Elliot said. "You have to," he added with a kiss. "Livvy, baby, look out the window."

Olivia turned, looked outside, and gasped. "You're not...we're not..."

"I am," Elliot said with a smile. "We are. You told me once, when we were just getting to know each other, that you wanted to travel. This was the first place you mentioned. Then, much later, after a night of heavy drinking, I asked you why, and you told me..."

"I know what I told you," Olivia said, smirking and shaking her head.

Elliot kissed her and said, "I fully intend on giving you that. See, Livvy, a badge is a powerful things, and I'm sure, even here, they'll bend over for it."

Olivia chuckled. "How the hell do you plan on clearing out the observation room at the top of the..."

"Already did it," Elliot interrupted. "They don't know why, though, they just know that we're on our honeymoon and would like to be alone."

"I can't believe you remember what I said, and you were half-drunk!" Olivia chuckled.

"I wasn't half-drunk, Livvy," Elliot said. "I was completely shit-faced! That should prove to you how much you mean to me. I hang on to your every word, even when I can't remember how many fingers I have," he said with a laugh.

"Oh, God! I remember that!" Olivia laughed. "You were very surprised that you had thumbs, because you couldn't remember having them before. You kept running them over my arms and hands, claiming they were new and shiny and you needed to play with them."

"It was just an excuse to touch you, and hold your hand, really," Elliot admitted. "Even drunk, I knew what I wanted."

Olivia held his gaze, and he leaned in slowly, kissing her, telling her what it was that he'd wanted, as if she didn't already know. "So, how does it feel, Stabler?" she asked, opening her eyes slowly after the kiss.

"What?" Elliot asked, confused. "Kissing you? Incredible," he said, leaning in to do it again.

"No," Olivia laughed. "How does it feel to be the only man that's ever managed to make me commit completely, to know that I'm staying, no matter what?"

Elliot closed his eyes and kissed her again. "Indescribable," he said. "Baby, there are no words..." He was cut off by her lips on his.

"Then don't talk," Olivia said, cupping his face and kissing him. They remained locked until they landed, then they got off the plane, heading into the airport hand-in hand. They moved through the crowded building, pushing passed people and vendors, listening to them shouting back at them in the foreign language that only one of them understood.

Olivia turned to reply to something particularly insulting, and she noticed someone in the crowd behind them. "Shit," she muttered. "So much for an amazing Parisian honeymoon," she mumbled.

"What are you talking about, baby?" Elliot asked. "What did he say to you?"

"Oh, he said that I had the ass of a Greek Goddess," Olivia said. "Then he told me what he wanted to do to it, but that's not..."

"Excuse me?" Elliot barked.

"El, we have bigger problems," Olivia said, turning him around. The woman didn't see them looking, but they certainly saw her.

Elliot's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Jo," he said, shaking his head. "Great. Let's get our luggage and get out of here, fast. We can lose her, baby." He squeezed her hand tighter, walked her over to the baggage claim, found their bags quickly, and zoomed through airport security, thankful that, as cops, they were awarded certain hospitalities. They found a cab and, with another flash of his badge, Elliot cut in front of the line of people waiting and told Olivia to tell the driver to get them to their hotel as fast as possible.

Jo, running out of the doors, cursed. "Fuck," she spat. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number, and waited. "Yeah, it's me," she said. "I lost them. I don't know. Paris is a big fucking city, that's why!" She waited again. "Okay, you do that, and then call me back. I am. As hard as it is for me, I am. You should watch out for Kathy, too. She'll snap if anything...right." Jo hung up and shook her head. "Dammit, Stabler," she mumbled. Then she got in line, waiting for a taxi and the phone call from Cragen, alerting her to their whereabouts.

**A/N: What is Jo after? Will Alex's plan get foiled? What do they do on their first night in France? It's lovely, but you've gotta want it to get it! **


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: When nothing in the world exists but you and the one you love, some things, and people, go unnoticed.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters belong to Dick Wolf. Story, dialogue, narrative and plot belong to TStabler©**

"Okay, baby, step up," Elliot said, guiding Olivia to a window with her eyes closed. "Open 'em," he whispered.

Olivia opened her eyes slowly, afraid of what she would see since they'd been in the elevator for quite some time. She gasped when she looked out in front of her. "My God, El, it's breathtaking."

"Yeah," Elliot said, looking at her. "The view's pretty cool, too."

Olivia rolled her eyes, chuckling, and looked at him. "I still can't believe you did this. Honey, you can see the whole city from up here, and the only thing you wanna look at is me? You have problems."

"My only problem is that we aren't naked yet," Elliot said with a low chuckle.

Olivia smacked him playfully in the arm, then turned to face the window again. "This city is so beautiful," she whispered, eyeing each sparkling light, and every Parisian building.

"Paris pales in comparison to you, Livvy," Elliot murmured in her ear, kissing her neck. "Ya know, they say if you make love to your soulmate at the top of the Eiffel Tower, you can feel the earth move."

Olivia blinked and felt Elliot's hands on her, sliding down the straps to the summery, breezy, dress she chose to wear. She looked into his eyes as he lowered the zipper, his hands sliding down her back, caressing as he unzipped, and he let the dress pool at her feet.

"I'm willing to do it up here as many times as it takes to prove that theory," Elliot said, dropping a soft kiss to her shoulder.

Olivia's eyes closed and her hand instinctively clutched the back of his head. She concentrated on his lips on her skin, and she smiled. One thing that had always amazed her, since she discovered it, was his duality. His soft roughness. His hands were strong, calloused, but when he touched her they felt like silk on her skin. His lips, that spouted rough, coarse, foul language, were like cool, moist pillows when he put his mouth anywhere on her body. His tongue, acidic and biting when provoked, was as hot, gentle, and comforting as could be when with her. He was a puzzle, that was it. The man was a double-sided puzzle, only complete with her by his side.

"Livvy," Elliot whispered, still running his amazingly soft lips over her neck and shoulders, "I love you."

Olivia forced her hands down to his collar, sliding his tie off, dropping it. "I love you, too, baby," she whispered to him. Then she unbuttoned the short-sleeved dress shirt he was wearing, shimmying her hand under the fabric to run over his hot, bare chest. Her fingers lightly traced the bullet wound just below his collar bone, and she gasped softly, remembering how dangerously close they'd come to losing each other. He dropped his arms and allowed the light fabric to slide away from his body. She moved to his black jeans, unbuckling the belt and pulling the zipper down. Kicking them off, Elliot wrapped his arms around Olivia, unhooking her bra, sliding it slowly off of her.

The blonde woman watching from the dark shadows near the closed door across the observation room took a few shallow breaths as she watched the scene before her unfold. She'd never seen anything so erotic, so amazingly hot, and so positively emotional in her life. She felt her heart race and her body began to react to what she was watching. She loosened her collar, and took off her black jacket, dropping it silently to her feet. "Touch her, Elliot," she whispered to herself. "God, just fucking touch her."

Elliot, as if hearing her, reached his hands out and grazed both of Olivia's nipples with his open palms. He caressed them, tweaked at them, rubbed them, and watched her eyes roll, her head drop back, and her mouth contort into a bitten together smirk. "I know what this does to you. You love it, don't you," he assumed, keeping up his actions.

Olivia moaned in deep pleasure, and nodded, her own hands running up and down his back. "God, yes," she whispered, her eyes opening and closing as her body ran wild with need and her core began to ache.

Elliot smirked, using one hand to guide Olivia to the floor and the other to remain as it was, teasing her left nipple. Once he had her flattened down, his left hand slid down her body, removing the pink satin and lace panties she wore. He tossed them to his side, where they joined her matching bra.

The blonde in audience moaned lightly, watching as Olivia was being brought to incredible peaks of pleasure from Elliot's attention on just her nipples. She whined a little as she saw Olivia's back arch when Elliot returned his left hand to her right nipple, and his mouth took hold of her left. She heard Olivia cry out and watched her buck her hips. "Holy shit," she whispered to herself, unconsciously unbuttoning the rest of her shirt. Her hands grazed her own nipples, and she bit her lip, her knees buckled. She wished she could feel an ounce of what Olivia was feeling. She watched the couple as heat rose within her.

"Livvy," Elliot Teased, pulling her nipple with his teeth, "You're gonna cum, you know that don't you? I'm gonna make you cum. From this alone," he whispered, sucking on the rosy bud in his mouth.

"Oh, God," Olivia moaned, her hips rolling beneath him, her nails digging into his back, noises of pleasure that sounded like pain being pulled from her throat. "Oh, El," she moaned, worming and writhing faster and harder.

Their voyeur was hoping for it, too. She wanted nothing more than to watch Elliot make the exquisite creature beneath him scream and cum and cry and yell his name. "Do it, Elliot," she demanded softly, her hands running over her stomach, which was tense with anticipation.

Elliot moved his mouth over to her other nipple, biting, sucking, flicking his tongue over it. His right hand was still toying with the one his lips had abandoned. He chuckled when he heard Olivia whimper, like a wounded cat. "Cum for me, Livvy," he demanded. He dropped a hand, easing it down to her slit. He ran one finger up the middle, just enough to tease her, and she bucked her hips madly and yelled his name. "You're so fucking wet, Livvy, I know you wanna cum." He sucked her nipple hard, keeping his finger near her slick center, but never slipping inside. He felt her tense, and he sucked harder, and that's when she exploded.

"Oh, God, Elliot!" Olivia cried, her head starting to thrash from side to side, her hips rising off of the floor, her nails breaking the skin of his shoulders.

"Yes, baby, yes!" Elliot encouraged.

"Oh, my God," the blonde watching whimpered to herself, her knees finally giving out. She dropped to the floor, unable to take her eyes off of Olivia and Elliot. She wasn't sure when her hand found its way into her black slacks, but she was glad it did. She watched their next move with wide eyes and an open mouth.

Elliot let go of her overworked, extremely sensitive nipples, and he yanked his boxers down and off. "Are you ready to feel the earth move?" he asked. He didn't wait for an answer. He sheathed himself inside of her and cursed at the incredible feeling. "Oh, my God, Livvy," he grunted, staying still for a moment to enjoy the pulsing and squeexing she was foing around him. He hadn't quite given her enough time to calm down.

Olivia shot up, arching her back into a perfect curve and running her nails down his chest. "Baby," she cried, her eyes trying to focus on his.

The woman watching them felt herself, touching and teasing, and as she watched Elliot start to move she gasped. He was huge, and Olivia was taking him all in. These two were incredible. Her eyes widened when she saw Olivia rolling her body in an intraicate wave-like motion, driving Elliot not only deeper but crazier. He was cursing, crying her name, telling her he loved her. He bent over to kiss her and smoothed one of his hands over her belly, a silent acknowledgement of their child, and he drove in deeper but slowed down.

Olivia held his head down to hers and cried into his mouth. She moaned and returned every one of his "I love you's" with just as much feeling. Her left hand moved down his body, too, and slid around to rest over his on her belly. They linked their fingers, their gold bands clinking together. They moved, meeting each other thrust-for-thrust, feeling-for-feeling, and they came, violently and powerfully.

They weren't the only ones.

The blonde watching them had as well, and fell to the floor, on her stomach, still watching the astonishing couple before her. She gasped and shivered when her phone vibrated. She took a breath, and closed her eyes as she reached into the pocket of her unzipped, wrinkled pants. "Marlowe," she said quietly, pushing herself up and sitting against the wall. "Yeah, I found them. Been tailing them all day. No. No one. They're uh, they're enjoying themselves, yes. Have you told Kathy? Are she and Maureen safe? She is? She did? Well, that was unexpected. I will. Nothing will happen to them. Right. Bye, Don." She snapped her phone shut, closed her eyes, and tried to regulate her breathing as she buttoned her shirt.

In the closed off observation room, Elliot was still inside of Olivia, breathing slowly, but heavily, and kissing her languidly. "Did you feel it, Livvy?" he asked, kissing her. "Did you feel Earth move, baby?"

"God, yes," Olivia panted. "More than once."

Elliot nodded. "Me, too, baby," he whispered, beginning to move again. He heard her moan, deeply, and he kissed her again. "It's moved every time," he confessed. "I felt the Earth move when I met you, the first time I kissed you, the first time I touched you, the first time you touched me, the first time I felt what it was like to be inside of you," he listed, thrusting slowly. "The first time we made love, Livvy, I felt it. And every time since then."

"I know, baby," Olivia moaned. "I feel it, too. With you, I feel it. I feel everything."

Sitting against the wall, Jo had finished straightening out her clothes, and as she listened to them making love again, she sighed and closed her eyes, thinking that maybe, just maybe, she felt her world move a little, too.

**A/N: Jo is protecting them, then? Maybe, but from whom? And a Parisian walk after dark, coming up if you want it! Click that button, faithful readers, and let me know! Follow TStabler on Twitter, too, TMG212**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Questions answered, and more posed.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters belong to Dick Wolf. Story, dialogue, narrative and plot belong to TStabler©**

"It's so beautiful here, El," Olivia said, getting pulled into his arms. "So romantic, and peaceful."

"It's Paris," Elliot laughed, kissing her. "It's designed to be all of the above." He kissed her again, then led her down the street, their shopping bags dangling from their hands and arms. The smiles on their faces were bright and wide, matching the light in their eyes.

Several feet behind them, Jo Marlowe pulled out her cell phone. She dialed a number as she tried to keep the happy couple in her sights. "Don, you have two very active detectives. I'm fucking exhausted. Please, tell me you found her and I can stop...she did? When? She wasn't in custody then? Her lawyers have to know...how the hell did that happen? Great, well, I'll keep them close, then. Bye."

She snapped her phone shut and followed Olivia and Elliot, at a safe distance, into a small cafe. She watched them sit, then she sat a few tables behind them. She watched, with jealousy in her every feature, as Olivia ordered in near perfect French then leaned over to kiss Elliot. She watched, with unblinking eyes, as they held hands, kissed, laughed, touched tenderly, shared seductive glances, and when the waiter brought them their coffee and croissants, she watched them feed each other. She watched them laugh some more, and kiss some more. It broke her heart, filled it up, made her love them, made her hate them, made her happy and made her sick, all at once.

Jo sipped her plain, black coffee as she watched the customers and the door, on high alert for the person who wanted to hurt the sickeningly perfect couple. She rose to her feet, seeing Olivia and Elliot do the same, and followed them out, down the Rue de Maupassant for a few blocks. She was startled when Elliot, wordlessly, pulled Olivia into an alley between to shops. She ran to follow them, and gasped lightly when she did.

"What the hell are..." Olivia was cut off when Elliot's lips crashed into hers. All of their bags dropped and Elliot slid his hand up, under her dress, caressing her thighs, sliding up higher to toy with the silk of her panties.

Olivia moaned against his lips and clutched his head tightly to hers as she felt two of his fingers tug the silk aside and slide up her slit. "Oh, God, El," she whispered, her hips instinctively rising to meet his hand.

Elliot, letting a low chuckle escape, moved one hand from her skin to his pants, and he unbuckled, unzipped, and unsheathed himself. He pushed Olivia further into the brick wall behind her, still attached to her lips, moaning and grunting. He hiked her left leg around his waist, opening her up, and pushed into her slowly, loving the high, quiet yelp she let go. "I love you, so much," he told her quietly, starting to move.

Jo, watching from the shadows she had lurked into, held her breath. These two were unbelievably passionate, and she couldn't blame Alex for loving Olivia the way she did. Watching her for the last three days had made Jo realize that she was beautiful, brilliant, incredibly sexy, tough, the perfect blend of soft and hard, just like Elliot. She mentally cursed herself for not being more like Olivia when she was Elliot's partner, thinking that maybe it would be her up against the wall being fucked and loved to within an inch of her life, but the jealousy faded the more she watched them; she had come to know that they were made for each other.

She watched them as they held onto each other, kissing, thrusting, moaning, grunting. She felt the heat rolling off of them onto her, but this time she could do nothing about it. She was way too close; they would definitely hear her. She stayed still, silent, watching.

"Oh, God, El," Olivia cried, her leg riding further up Elliot's body.

"Oh, damn, Livvy," Elliot mumbled against her mouth, pulling her other leg up and wrapping her around his waist. "Oh, God, baby!" he groaned, getting deeper.

Olivia squeezed her legs around him, beginning to clench, her moans and kisses both getting longer. "El, I can't..." she dropped the rest of the sentence, throwing her head back and pressing her lips together.

"Yeah, Livvy," Elliot whispered. "You can. Cum for me baby. I'm not letting go until you do." He moved harder, but slower, really dragging it out for her, building the pressure in himself. "Livvy, baby, just let go. I need to feel you cum," he panted in her ear.

Olivia moaned, softer, lower, faster, as he moved within her. She dug her nails into his back, clamping around him, and she groaned in pleasure as Elliot grunted and began shooting into her.

Jo bit her tongue, trying to stay quiet. She watched as they held onto each other, softly kissing and laughing as they tried to calm down.

"Sorry," Elliot said, dropping his forehead to hers. "I wanted you, so badly, and I just couldn't wait."

Olivia dropped her legs from around his waist, still holding onto his shoulders for support, and smirked. "Did I complain?" she asked

"Definitely not," Elliot chuckled, tugging her panties back into place and smoothing out her dress.

"Then don't apologize," Olivia said, adjusting him, putting him back into his pants. He hardened again instantly at her touch, and as she zipped him up, she looked at him suspiciously. "Already?" she questioned with a smirk.

Elliot chuckled and kissed her. "I'm always this aroused, I'm like a fucking baseball bat, when I'm with you. When I'm even just thinking about you, which is all the fucking time." He kissed her again as he bent to grab their bags. "Deal with it," he told her with a wink. He took her hand and said, "Let's go drop these bags off, shower, change. I've got a surprise for you tonight." He looked over his shoulder and said, "Are you coming, Jo?"

Jo gasped, her jaw dropping, as she stepped into the light. "How did you..."

Olivia scoffed. "You honestly thought we didn't know you were following us?" she asked. "We're damn good detectives, Marlowe. Even a nearsighted, doesn't-know-crap, rookie could have seen you. You aren't exactly stealthy."

"I...wow," Jo said, wondering if she should be insulted.

Elliot narrowed his eyes and asked, "Are you, at least, enjoying yourself?"

Jo cleared her throat. "Uh, I was just, I'm trying to keep you safe. Alex is..."

"We know she is," Olivia interrupted. "And we appreciate you looking out for us."

Elliot scoffed and said, "We also appreciate you staying the hell out of our way."

Jo cleared her throat again and said, "No problem."

Elliot nodded, gripped Olivia's hand tighter, and led her back to the road.

Jo took a deep breath and straightened out her jacket. She followed them back out onto the main road, and tailed them for two more blocks. As they turned the corner, heading to their hotel, she gasped and suddenly leaped in front of them. She pushed them to the ground and kicked Elliot, moving them behind a car. She drew her gun, then, and fired.

Olivia popped her head over Elliot's shoulder from behind the car. She looked toward where Jo was aiming and shooting and she gasped.

Elliot pulled her back toward him, almost making them into one, solid mass. "What is it, Livvy?" he asked, scared "I'm not letting you go, I'm not going to look."

Olivia held herself as close to him as she could, and buried herself in his chest as she whispered, "Alex."

**A/N: What? Who is shooting at whom? Who gets shot? What is the surprise that Olivia may or may not get? Click and leave a review, or tweet TMG212 on Twitter, and tell me you want it!**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: What? Who is shooting at whom? Who gets shot? What is the surprise that Olivia may or may not get?**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters belong to Dick Wolf. Story, dialogue, narrative and plot belong to TStabler©**

Elliot held Olivia tighter as he listed to the angry conversation of bullets. When the last one was fired, he head Jo cry, "Stay down," and then he heard her footsteps. She was running, probably in the direction Alex had fled.

"Stay down my ass," Elliot mumbled. He pushed Olivia up gently, giving her the once over, feeling her, checking her for injury. "Are you okay?" he asked, finally looking into her eyes.

Olivia'd been doing the same thing. She ran her fingers over him and checked him for any sign of bullet wounds. She looked back into his amazing blue eyes and said, "Physically, yes."

"Oh, baby," Elliot sighed, pulling her up to her feet. He brushed her off, ignoring the looks from the people and French Police who were running by them after Jo and Alex. He pulled her close and brushed her hair back as she straightened out his suit. "We're gonna be okay," he whispered to her, caressing her cheek softly. "You, me, and our baby. We're fine, and to be honest, that's all I really give a damn about. Maureen's home, safe, nothing else matters."

Olivia nodded. "I know, El," she said. "I know, baby. I just...I still can't believe she's doing this. I thought...I never imagined she'd...God, El, I thought I knew her."

"Do you ever really know someone?" Elliot asked, picking up the bags that had dropped and scattered.

Olivia picked up the ones she'd been carrying and said, "Yeah. I know you."

Elliot looked up at her, raised an eyebrow, and smirked. "Do you?"

Olivia smirked back. "I do," she said. "Like the back of my hand."

Elliot took her free hand in his, leading her as far away from the bullet-hole filled car as possible, avoiding the French officers like the plague. He smirked, chuckled, and closed his eyes. "What color are my eyes?" he asked.

"Are you...wow, gee, El. Um, brown?" Olivia teased. She laughed, then sighed. "They are the most beautiful shade of blue. Several shades, actually. Icy in the middle, with deep, cerulean flecks, and this ring of, almost like an oceanic turquoise around the outside. And when you're angry, they go almost white. When you're happy, really happy, they brighten, and when you're incredibly aroused, like back there by the wall, they get dark. Very dark, Almost navy."

Elliot looked at her, stunned, with a surprised smile on his face. "Ask a simple question..." he said. He gave her hand a squeeze and pulled her closer, asking, "Where is my favorite place in the world?"

Olivia was silent for a moment as she thought about it, then she said, "I think the name of it was Rider Park. Small place near your childhood home. You used to go there and sit on this large rock, and just think, and hang your feet over in the water. You'd spend hours there doing nothing but..."

"How the hell do you remember that? Elliot interrupted, smiling. "I told you that, shit, the week we met."

Olivia smiled at him. "I told you, El. I know you. I paid attention to you, whether you believe I did or not."

Elliot was amazed. He pressed a sweet kiss to her forehead as they turned the corner, and Olivia stopped. She held her arm out, stopping Elliot, too, gasping as they came face-to-face with Alex.

Elliot's arms wrapped around Olivia, around their unborn child. Olivia turned into him, wrapping him in her arms, protecting him, too.

"How cute," Alex said. "Really, such love," she observed. "Pity your world's gonna come crashing down in a few minutes."

"What do you want, Alex?" Elliot asked, his heart rate picking up speed, but his demeanor remaining calm, the way it did in these situations at work. He briefly wished he was armed.

Alex smirked. "I want to know why," she said, pointing her gun at Elliot. "Why I was never good enough, why I was never perfect enough for you, Olly."

"Ally," Olivia gasped, using the nickname she thought she'd never say again. "Listen to me, it was never about you not being good enough for me. I'm not...I was never attracted to...women, I just..."

"This isn't about men or women, Olly," Alex spat. "This is about love! I loved you! More than anyone in your life ever had! I was there when men broke your heart! I was there for you when you were dealing with shit from your mother, when you fell in love with this...asshole...and thought you could never have him, I was there, holding you, as you cried into your cookie dough ice-cream," she explained. "Couldn't you see that I loved you?"

Olivia closed her eyes and pulled Elliot tighter. "I thought you were being my friend, Al. My best friend. I loved you, too, just, not the way you wanted me to. I could never love you like that."

"Never say never, Olly," Alex said, cocking her gun. "Once he's out of the picture, you're gonna need some comforting, aren't you?"

Olivia's eyes widened, she pushed and turned, moving directly in front of him. She saw Alex flinch and drop the gun slightly. "Al, if you shoot him, do you really think I will want anything to do with you? Do you? If you shoot him, you'll be taking away my life, my whole world, the father of my child."

"Child?" Alex asked, tilting her head.

"Alex," Olivia said, tilting her head. "Did you just think I ate too much wedding cake, or what? I'm pregnant. With Elliot's baby, and you almost took all of this away from me once."

Alex's eyes widened. "Oh, God! You were...when I...I never meant..."

"I know," Olivia said. "You were aiming for Elliot. But I did then exactly what I'm doing now. Standing between you and him. What does that tell you?" she asked, struggling against Elliot, who was trying desperately to get her away from him in case the gun went off.

Alex blinked. "It says," she began, "That if I can't have you...no one can." She raised the gun again.

A single shot was fired.

A single female body hit the floor.

Elliot dropped to the ground, catching Olivia as she fell.

Olivia collapsed into his arms, sobbing, holding him tight. Elliot began rocking her gently, trying to calm her, brushing her hair back, as Jo Marlowe, bleeding from her own wound, limped toward them. "Sorry I'm late," she said.

Elliot looked up at her, gave her a grateful look, then sighed and closed his eyes, holding onto Olivia, who was grieving for the friend she lost a long time ago, whom she would never get back.

* * *

"Baby?" Elliot said, softly, watching Olivia sitting on the bed, silent, in her bathrobe. "Honey, you okay?"

Olivia, not looking at him, nodded slowly.

"She was gonna kill you," Elliot said, handing her a glass of iced water. "Jo saved your life, the only way..."

"I know," Olivia said, softly. "What she said, though. The questions she asked, about how I didn't realize she was in love with me."

Elliot sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her. "What about them?" he asked, sipping his own water.

Olivia looked up at him, her damp her falling in curls to her shoulders, and asked, "How the hell didn't you realize I was in love with you?"

"I did," Elliot said, kissing her. "That's why...that's why I moved so fast, and so...backwards, I realized it, and I wanted to make you mine before you decided you didn't wanna be in love with me anymore."

Olivia gave him a small smile. "I will always be in love with you Elliot," she whispered.

"Well, duh," Elliot said, holding up his left hand. "Gold band kind of sealed the deal on that one."

Olivia chuckled. She leaned in and kissed him, nuzzling his nose softly as she pulled away. "Smartass," she chided.

"Yeah, I am," he said. "A smartass that you think you know like the back of your hand."

"No, I know I know you, El," Olivia said, watching him get up off of the bed.

"Liv," Elliot began, walking over to the dresser, "If you really know me the way you think you do, then I would never be able to surprise you. You would expect things, anticipate them, wouldn't you?"

Olivia sighed and rolled her eyes. "I guess so, but that's not what..."

"Surprise," Elliot said, turning around quickly, holding out a ring box. Inside, though, wasn't a ring. It wasn't earrings. It wasn't jewelry of any kind.

"A key?" Olivia asked, confused.

Elliot moved closer to the bed, knelt down on one knee and said, "Olivia Stabler, when I was lost, you found me. When I had nowhere to go, you offered me shelter, You gave my daughter a home, our daughter. We've already survived a long list of tragedies together, and I think, as long as we're together, we can survive anything else this world throws at us. A long time ago, I gave you the key to my heart. Tonight, in this luxurious hotel room in Paris, I give you, the key to our new house."

Olivia let a single tear fall onto the cool metal as she traced it with her finger. She looked up at him, smiling, and she shook her head in disbelief. "I didn't see that one coming," she said with a soft look in her eyes.

Elliot chuckled. "Nope," he said, smirking.

"We have a house," Olivia said.

Elliot nodded. "We have a house. With five bedrooms."

"Five?" Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow.

Elliot took the box out of Olivia's hands, eased her back on the bed, and slowly untied her robe. He loomed over her as he said, "You don't think this little one is gonna be our only child, do you?"

Olivia laughed as Elliot pulled off his shirt. She shrugged out of her robe completely, helped him slide out of his sweatpants, and said, "Absolutely not."

Elliot kissed her, sliding his hands over her body, pushing into her gently, making the trauma of the day go away for a little while. He made her happy in the way that only he could, and he swore that the rest of their honeymoon would be perfect.

Things at home, however, were anything but.

**A/N: What's wrong at home? What happens with the rest of their week in Paris? Reviews are awesome! Here, or on Twitter TMG212 **


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: I'M BACK FROM VACATION! Longer chappy, but not by much, as I was unpacking and recovering, lol. What's wrong at home? What happens with the rest of their week in Paris? **

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters belong to Dick Wolf. Story, dialogue, narrative and plot belong to TStabler©**

Olivia woke up in Elliot's arms, unaware that she'd cried in her sleep. Alex was dead. Really dead. And she was partially responsible. Yet, part of her felt incredible. Relieved. Safe. She looked up a bit, and there was Elliot, looking back at her with love in his eyes and a content smile on his face. She smiled back with a sigh, and remembered the key he'd given her last night. They had a house. A home. A daughter to go back to, and a baby on the way, and the only person who wanted to rip it all away was gone for good.

"Morning Mommy," Elliot whispered, his hands running in slow circles over her belly.

Olivia blinked once, feeling a flutter in the belly he was caressing at the use of that moniker. She knew her eyes were twinkling as she said to him, "Morning, Daddy."

"I took the liberty of ordering us breakfast. It should be here soon. Then, I wanna take a nice, long bath with you in that great, big bathtub. Fill it with bubbles, light some candles, maybe get a bit dirty before we get clean," he said, winking at her and pecking his way down her body.

"That sounds fantastic," Olivia moaned, enjoying the way he was loving her.

"It will feel fantastic, too, baby," Elliot promised. He came to her bump and said, "And then I wanna go shopping for this little one. We need a crib and a changing table. Things we could get before we know whether it's..."

"In Paris?" Olivia said, gasping.

Elliot raised an eyebrow. "Well, we could get on a train," he said. "There are a few shops in Lyon, a great place in Dijon..."

Olivia chuckled. "Okay, for one thing, I meant because we'd be broke when we were done, another thing, how the hell do you know so much about baby shopping in France?"

Elliot kissed her baby belly tenderly and looked back into her eyes. "I Googled it," he said. "And the money doesn't matter, Liv, this is our child, our honeymoon," he told her, "I got it covered. I promise." He kissed her belly again, whispering, "Daddy is gonna give you everything he and Mommy never had."

Olivia ran a hand through Elliot's hair and laughed through her tears. "Oh, El," she said. "You already did that."

Elliot looked up, furrowing his brow. "Huh?" he mumbled, confused.

"This baby already has everything I never had," Olivia said with a sniffle. "A mother who loves him, or her, unconditionally, and a father. A real father."

"Liv," Elliot whispered, moving back up her body. He had just pressed his lips to hers when there was a knock on the door. Breakfast had arrived.

* * *

Cragen ran through the bullpen, pulling files, trying to find the ones that Alexandra Cabot had tried. "I understand, Sir," he said into the phone. "Yes. No. They're, uh, away. On...their honeymoon, Sir. No. With each other. You knew this. Yes, Sir, Benson and Stabler. No, Sir, I assure you, Benson is a woman. She's pregnant. Olivia Benson. You were at the wedding, Sir. Yes, that one. Yes." He ran toward Olivia's desk and pulled more files, then headed toward the file room for cold cases and closed ones. "Sir, is this necessary?" he asked, sighing. "A new...yes, you can send her up tonight. We won't be busy at all," he said sarcastically. "Right, Sir. Bye."

Munch, from the doorway of the fileroom, said, "You honestly don't know who they're sticking us with?"

"No," Cragen said. "Gimme a hand with these." He dumped a pile of files into Munch's arms.

Munch rolled his eyes and said, "Jo Marlowe."

"What?" Cragen spat. "She was only supposed to be here on temporary assignment to protect..."

"Right," Munch said. "But now that our actual attorney's is rally dead, McCoy offered her the job. Casey is flabbergasted, and you know Benson and Stabler aren't gonna be happy. She saved their lives and all, but it's Elliot's old partner, who had a massive crush on him, and she just killed Benson's ex-best friend." Munch plopped the files down on the metal desk in one of the interrogation rooms and asked, "Do you really think..."

"No, John," Cragen said, opening a file. "I do not. Sit. Help me look for any case that Olivia took lead on."

"With Elliot?" Munch asked, picking up a file.

Cragen sighed, squeezing the bridge of his nose. "At all. The chief is under the impression that Cabot might have rigged cases that Olivia was working, tried them, and fixed them. If the stats are off, we have a problem," he said. "Wins over here, losses over here."

"But Cap," Munch said, "Olivia and Elliot have an amazing case closure rating! It isn't just when Alex..."

"I know," Cragen said, "Which is why Casey and, I guess it's Jo, need to go over all of the evidence and documents and see if anything was falsified. If it was, we have some convicts to set free."

"This isn't good," Munch said, slapping his file into the pile designated for "wins." He watched Cragen do the same thing. "Okay, Did Alex only try cases that Olivia worked?"

"Have you and Fin ever worked with her?" Cragen asked, tilting his head.

Munch thought. "Well, yeah, there was the Evans...no, I worked that with Benson," he said. "Conroy and...no, that was with Benson. Shit."

"She really screwed us all," Cragen said, slapping another file into the "win" pile.

* * *

"I can not believe you had a crib and a changing table shipped to a house I haven't even seen yet," Olivia said with a laugh, holding Elliot's hand in one of her hands, and several shopping bag handles in the other. They walked slowly, enjoying their time with each other as the sun set in Paris.

Elliot chuckled. "You'll see it in a few days," he said, pulling her hand up to his lips and kissing it. "You're gonna fall in love with it," he told her. "It's gorgeous, honey. I saw it, it took one look, and I knew that it was our house. It had to be our house."

"What color is it?" Olivia asked, curious.

"It's blue," Elliot said, biting his bottom lip.

Olivia's breath hitched a bit. "Five bedrooms, blue...Elliot, what color is the door?"

"Um, it's white," Elliot said, blinking twice very quickly. "Before you ask, yes, it has a gold door-knocker."

Olivia tugged on his hand, making him stop. "If you tell me it has a..."

"White picket fence, yard in the front, and the back," Elliot said, squeezing her hand. "Master bedroom has a window seat and a balcony, Liv. I don't know how this house even fucking exists, but I swear to God it does."

"El," Olivia breathed, trying not to cry and failing. "Really?"

Elliot nodded, smiling. "The realtor thought he was gonna have to call a doctor because when I got there I started crying." He cupped her chin and wiped away the few tears that had fallen. "That's why I didn't take you there before we came here. You're already emotional because you're pregnant. Could you imagine what would have happened if I had taken you to see a house we thought only existed in your dreams?"

"You bought a house I dreamed about when I was nine years old," Olivia said, shaking her head. "You remembered me telling you about this house?"

Elliot kissed her last tears away and dropped a sweet kiss to her lips. "Baby, that conversation...that night in the car, it wasn't just to keep us awake to watch that asshole, okay? I was really asking, because I really wanted to know what you wanted. The house, the car, the kids, the dog, the life. I wanted to know, because I knew then what I am impossibly sure of now. I want to be right here, living through it all with you."

"You will be," Olivia said, smiling at him. "You picked the wrong girl to marry, El. See, unlike Kathy, I'm not letting you go. You can't get rid of me. I'm on you like a goddamn birthmark, Stabler."

"You will get no complaints from me," Elliot said, flashing a classic Stabler smirk at her. "I don't want you to let me go, Liv. Ever. I'm not letting you go either. This is it, the end."

"Wrong," Olivia said, kissing him and linking his left hand with hers. "This is just the beginning. See, we went backwards."

Elliot laughed, throwing his head back, then pulled her in for a deep kiss, wrapping his arms around her. "I love you," he said against her lips.

"I love you, too, honey," Olivia said, smiling as the kiss continued, tourists and residents alike all staring at them, wondering what was so romantic about a train station.

* * *

"My eyes hurt," Munch complained. "And we're only a third of the way through these."

Cragen plopped a file onto the "losses" pile and sighed. "Casey and Jo have their work cut out for them," he said. "Ninety-three percent of these are wins, and a small chunk of them have nothing to do with Elliot."

"You really think Alex would have planted evidence and tampered with the jury and bribed witnesses, just to help Olivia's case..." he paused, saw the look Cragen was giving him, and said, "Okay, so it's possible, but Olivia wouldn't and doesn't need the help. Cap, I'm prepared to testify that these are all one-hundred-percent clean wins."

"Let's hope so, John," Cragen said, nodding. "Let's hope so."

**A/N: Did Alex screw with Olivia's cases, or are they all clean wins? How will their last night in Paris go? What happens on the plane home? Are Olivia and Elliot having a boy or a girl? Answers if you want them! Reviews are like cinnamon rolls. Sweet, scrumptious, and you can buy them at the mall. Wait...what? o..O Leave one here, or on Twitter TMG212**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: Did Alex screw with Olivia's cases, or are they all clean wins? How will their last night in Paris go? What happens on the plane home?**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters belong to Dick Wolf. Story, dialogue, narrative and plot belong to TStabler©**

"You can stop talking about it," Fin said, squeezing the bridge of his nose as he went through his fifth box of evidence.

Munch hummed in agreement. "We don't really want to think about Olivia having sex, thanks," he said.

"And definitely not with Stabler," Fin said with a shudder. "They're like family, Jo, so could you stop?"

Jo Marlowe smirked as she read through the file in her hands carefully. "Just telling you what I had to deal with for the last four days," she said. "And they really are incredible fun to watch. I'm sure you'll find that out. They'll get it on around here, trust me. Was she ever a gymnast? Because this one time she got her leg all the way up around his..."

"Jo!" Cragen yelled, tempted to cover his ears and start humming. "She's like my daughter! Could we concentrate on making sure she doesn't lose her fucking job?"

Marlowe chuckled. "And not on what kind of job she does fucking, you mean?"

The men in the room groaned and Casey threw more files down in front of Marlowe. "Look, I know you don't particularly like her, but you like Elliot. That's his wife, the mother of his child. You've also got four people in this room who will hurt you if you say anything else negative about her, so have a little fucking respect, and just do your damned job."

"Five," Trevor Langan said, walking in. "And this one might not hurt her but he'll fire her." Jack McCoy was behind him, looking a little glum. "It's a real party now, isn't it?"

McCoy dropped a cardboard box and a jug onto a table in the corner. "Coffee and donuts," he said. "That's still what cops like in the morning, right?"

"Morning, afternoon, middle of the night," Fin quipped, heading for the refreshments. "Thanks Jack."

"Hey," McCoy said, "Benson is one hell of a detective. Just because I asked for this investigation, doesn't mean I'm not on her side. I don't think any one of her cases was fixed by any fault of her own." He held out a hand to Casey, asking for a file. "I'm willing to help you prove it."

Casey gave him a soft look as she handed him a file.

"Hold on," McCoy said, "If you're all in here, who the hell is getting rapists off the streets today?"

Cragen chuckled. "Conroy, Devlin, Hampton and Elroy," he said. "They're all here, and they're all on cases."

Munch tossed evidence bags back into the box in front of him and resealed it, saying, "Everything's good with these." He stacked the box in the corner of the room and re-filed the case folders he had been examining.

Trevor sipped his coffee and sat down. "We have nine hours until Tucker comes up here, asking for your findings and the chief's decision," he said. "Olivia and Elliot are my best friends. Give me that box and tell me what I have to do."

Casey smirked at him and plopped an evidence box down in front him along with a pair of latex gloves.

Heads turned as they heard two more clearing throats from the interrogation room doorway. "Hey gang," Melinda Warner said. Ryan O'Halloran from the crime lab was next to her. "We only have an hour, but...is there anything we can do?"

Cragen looked around the room, at all of the people who were so willing to help, and he knew that this was more than a place to work. These people were more than Olivia and Elliot's friends and colleagues; these people were family. "Help with the evidence?" Cragen suggested. He looked at Jo Marlowe, then at Casey, and he nodded. "I think we're gonna be okay."

* * *

"This place is just so...you," Olivia observed, leaning over the table to Elliot. She had been looking around the hazy, dim, jazz club and smirking, thinking that this was definitely the type of place he would have taken her on a date. If they had dated.

Elliot wrapped both of his hands around hers and nuzzled her nose. "Why do you say that?" he asked, listening to the saxophone in the background but his eyes fixed on her.

Olivia's lips brushed against his lightly. "You love jazz," she said. "You also love the dark, and this place...El I can't see anything except you and the musician, since there's a spotlight on him."

"Well, I like intimacy," Elliot said, kissing her softly, "And privacy."

Olivia chuckled. "You just like being able to do naughty things in public without risking anyone really knowing," she teased, elbowing him playfully in his side.

"That, too," Elliot said with an evil smirk, letting one hand drop to her thigh. It moved slowly up her skin, sliding under the fabric of her red dress.

"I was kidding," Olivia whispered, suddenly still, breathless.

Elliot chuckled. "I'm not," he said. "It's our last night in Paris," he whispered. "It's a thrill, think about the excitement. Baby, no one can see us, look around," he said softly, kissing the skin just below her ear, making her shudder.

"I would, but I can't see anything," Olivia said with a light chuckle. She felt his hand move higher up her leg, under her dress, and his fingertips grazed the edge of her panties. He let go of her hand and caressed her cheek, cupping her face, watching the anticipation and anxiety etch into her features.

"Look at me," Elliot said in a whisper, his voice firm but not forceful. He saw Olivia's eye open and roll toward his, and he saw how dark they were, almost black. He pulled her closer to him, the action making his hand to move just a bit, brushing over her silk-covered slit, causing her to gasp. Elliot chuckled. He could be an arrogant bastard sometimes, and there was nothing he enjoyed more than being on a power trip. He slid the hand from her face down her body, wrapping it securely around her waist.

Olivia had a good idea of what was about to happen. Her heart was somewhere between stopping altogether and pounding so hard and fast she thought it might explode. She listened to the music, and just as the drums kicked in, joining the sax, Elliot, who obviously knew what he was doing, began stroking the back of his finger over her covered mound, right in time with the beat. Teasing her. Torturing her.

Elliot watched, in amazement and with an overwhelming sense of pride, as Olivia drew her bottom lip into her mouth, scraping it between her teeth. He watched her eyes flutter shut and he clicked his tongue. "You don't get to close your eyes, honey," he whispered to her. "Not yet, not here." He leaned closer to her, smirking, and said, "Just look at me. Listen to the music, and look at me."

Olivia turned her head toward his again, pressing her forehead to his, and her hands ran down his chest. He wanted to play? Well, they'd play then. When her fingers gripped his belt, the music picked up a bit of speed, got louder, and Elliot let out a purely demonic laugh. If she didn't know him, she might have been scared.

Elliot had never felt so confident, so proud of himself. He had a goal, he had something to prove tonight, and he was well on his way to proving it. "You're really gonna do this," he whispered to her, a statement, but a mildly disbelieving one.

"Like you said, It's our last night in Paris," Olivia whispered to him, working him out of his pants, just enough. She saw the relief and the expectancy on his face. "No one can see us," she pointed out, and that music is..." her eyes widened a bit and her smirk grew to match his. "You planned this."

Elliot grabbed the hem of her panties and pushed them aside, sliding a finger through the tremendous wetness he found. "Plan worked," he whispered. "You want this, and you can't fucking deny it. Tonight, what I wanted to do was prove that no matter where we are, who we're with, what's going on around us," he ran his finger back down her slit, watching her lips press together, "There will always be us. We will always come first, and we can ignore the rest of the world. Baby, nothing else exists. Just you. Me. Us." He pushed his finger into her and pulled her onto his lap, kissing her and sliding and thrusting his finger in and out, then adding another one. Her hand moved back down to his shaft and wrapped around him, and the rest of the world really did go away.

The dark jazz club was filled with hazy smoke from the candles and the incredible tones from the horns and the drums, and the patrons were all oblivious to the quietly passionate couple at a table in the corner, lost in a world of their own.

* * *

"Marlowe," Trevor said, sliding an evidence box toward Munch, who stacked it on top of the pile, "What are you mumbling about over there?"

Jo wagged the file in her hands and said, "These." She patted the pile of folders next to her. "There are inconsistencies...but not...I mean, Cabot didn't screw with Olivia's evidence, or testimony, or witness statements."

Fin glanced at Casey, sighed, and said, "That's good, but I feel a 'but' comin' on."

"But," Marlowe said. "She screwed with Elliot's."

"What?" Casey spat, ripping the open file out of Jo's hands. "Son of a bitch, she misquoted him, and his statements aren't signed, there's nothing in here about a warrant...she probably didn't even give any of these to Elliot," she said, huffing.

Cragen looked at Marlowe and held out his hand. "Gimme one," he demanded.

Jo slapped a folder into the captain's open palm and said, "They were all cases he either worked solo, or with Olivia. She was trying to make him look bad, not make Benson look good. She wanted him out of here."

Munch looked down at watch, then looked at the case numbers on the files. He got up and went to the far left corner of the room and shuffled boxes around, grabbing two of them.

Fin, knowing what he was doing, pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number, waiting a moment. "Yo, Ruben, man, it's Fin," he said. "You need to get up here. We gotta get into Stabler's computer. We don't have a lot of time and...he's on his honeymoon, I'm not gonna call and interrupt what I have been told is some Olympic gold medal winning sex to get his pass...don't worry about how I know. Yeah, thanks." He slapped the phone closed.

Trevor grabbed one of the boxes from Munch, and followed him out, heading down to the lab with O'Halloran. Casey looked at Cragen and McCoy and said, "None of this was his fault."

"I know that," Cragen said, "So will Tucker, but the chief...he hates when mistakes are made. If any of those cases were won or lost when they shouldn't have been..."

"I know," Casey said, nodding. "I just hate that they have to come back from what was probably an amazing week, move into a new house, deal with Olivia's pregnancy, and find that his job is on the line. They need the..."

Cragen's eyes widened. "Shit," he spat. "I'll be back in an hour. Do not let them take a break and if you find out that any of those mistakes were Elliot's, call me." He ran out of the room and out of the bullpen, clearly in a hurry to get somewhere.

* * *

Elliot peered over at the sleeping woman next to him, and he smiled. He brushed her hair back, kissed her forehead, and craned his neck, trying to get the flight attendant's attention.

A man in a blue and red uniform walked over and said, "What can I get you, sir?"

Elliot smiled politely at the attendant. "Can I get a blanket and a pillow? My wife fell asleep, and..."

"Of course," the man said, smiling and nodding. "Anything else?"

"Two bottles of mineral water and, uh, some kind of aspirin," Elliot said, squeezing the bridge of his nose.

Olivia scooted closer to him. "I'm not asleep," she whispered, "And why didn't you tell me you had a headache?"

"You'd worry," Elliot whispered to her, kissing her forehead again. "And you're the one that we need to worry about. We didn't get a lot of sleep, and that chair in that club wasn't the most comfortable place to..."

"Oh, I was pretty damn comfortable," Olivia said with closed eyes and a smirk, wrapping her arms around his and using his shoulder as a pillow. "I'm fine," she said, sighing into him.

Elliot dropped his head to hers. "We have a doctor's appointment tomorrow," he told her. "I can't wait."

"Me either," Olivia said, her smirk growing into a smile. "Are you sure you're ready for this? I mean, I know it was you're idea, and you..."

"I'm ready for everything," Elliot said, "The second I asked you to marry me, baby. I was ready for it all. Why? Are you...are you thinking that you're not?"

Olivia looked up at him, her eyes droopy. "I'm ready, El," she said, meaning it. "We're gonna be amazing, ya know."

Elliot chuckled. "Yeah, we are," he told her. "Look what we've done with Maury, and imagine what it's gonna be like starting from the beginning. This baby is gonna be loved, and spoiled. And, honey, our child is gonna be beautiful and smart, generous, and caring like Mommy."

"And don't forget strong and athletic," Olivia said. "We're both in great shape. And of course, a tad bit conceited and slightly arrogant, like Daddy," she teased.

"Well, as a Stabler," Elliot said smugly. "It's his or her right to be a bit cocky."

Olivia leaned her head up and kissed him as the flight attendant returned with their water, Elliot's aspirin, the blanket, and the pillow. "Excuse me, sir, but are you, uh, Detective Elliot Stabler?"

Elliot popped the pills in his mouth, nodding as his chugged the water. "Yeah, how did you..."

"Your name's attached to your ticket, you were in the computer, Sir," the man said, cutting him off. "And you must be Detective Olivia Benson, then?"

Olivia sat up, nervous, nodding. "Why are you asking?"

"We have a, uh, situation," the attendant said. "Would you both please, come with me?"

Olivia looked at Elliot, cautiously, and they rose from their seats, following the attending through the black curtain separating first-class from coach. "What kid of situation?" Elliot asked, his headache getting worse as he tried like hell to keep from panicking.

The attendant cleared his throat and led them to the back of the cabin, near the closet. "This kind of situation," he whispered.

Olivia put her hands on her hips and looked up at Elliot. He looked at her and his mouth was caught between a scowl and a smirk. "Lemme guess, you want us to handle this bck here so you don't cause pandemonium on the plane until we land?"

The attendant nodded. "Security at JFK has already been notified. No one will be getting off the plane when we land. I'm not really sure which jurisdiction..."

"Ours," Olivia said, crouching down next to the closet, looking at the twisted body of the naked woman. She looked up at Elliot again and said, "I guess the honeymoon's over."

Elliot chuckled and rolled his eyes, not realizing how very true that statement was.

**A/N: Will the team get the cases straightened out before Tucker and the chief show up? Where did Cragen go in such a hurry? Who is the girl on the plane, and how is she connected to someone at SVU? I assure you, it was no coincidence. I shall answer these questions, along with some family fluffiness with Maureen and the new house, if you want me to! Tell me here, or on Twitter, TMG212! **


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: Will the team get the cases straightened out before Tucker and the chief show up? Where did Cragen go in such a hurry? Who is the girl on the plane, and how is she connected to someone at SVU?**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters belong to Dick Wolf. Story, dialogue, narrative and plot belong to TStabler©**

Once it landed, the plane was overrun with cops and detectives, as well as airport security. Cragen eyes the working couple curiously, and sighed. The team had handed the chief and Tucker their findings on Elliot and Olivia only thirty minutes before Olivia called about the body on the plane, and now he had a whole new problem. He knew the woman in the closet.

"Who is she?" Elliot asked the flight attendant, curious.

"Heather Pinkiss," the attendant said, biting his nails.

Olivia looked around, then down at the woman who was now covered with a sheet. "This was not how our honeymoon was supposed to end, El," she said with a sigh.

"Liv," Elliot returned. "When have we ever done anything the way we were supposed to do it?"

Olivia chuckled lightly. "That would be never," she said, sending him a loving look and a sly smirk.

"Boy," Cragen said, walking up to them, "You couldn't wait to get back to work, could ya?"

"Couldn't even wait to be on the ground," Olivia said, folding her arms.

Cragen cleared his throat. "Guys," he said, "Please, uh, handle this delicately, and don't let Munch find out about this. At least not yet."

"Why?" Elliot asked, wide-eyed. "Relative?"

Cragen shook his head. "Old victim," he said. "Rape back in Ninety-Eight. When she was sixteen. Munch never forgave himself for not getting the guy."

"You don't think the cases are related, do you?" Olivia asked. "Twelve years is an awfully long time to wait before finishing off your..."

"No," Cragen said. "But I do know Munch will think they are, because everything with him is a damn conspiracy."

Olivia and Elliot chuckled, then looked back at the cabin full of suspects. "The killer is on this plane, El," she said, leaning into her husband. "I'm starving, I have to pee, I'm cranky, I'm horny as shit, and we have a fucking killer on a motherfucking plane."

"Welcome home, baby," Elliot said with a serious voice and expression. He didn't look at her as he walked toward the people in their seats, anxious to get all of the interviews over and get his pregnant wife home, fed, and into bed.

* * *

"One hundred and forty statements," Olivia groaned, her head dropping to her desk as soon as she plopped into it.

Elliot yawned as he nodded. "And not a single confession. Everyone is backing up everyone else, the only people for whom we can't account are the pilots and two of the flight attendants."

"Maybe she was killed before the plane boarded," Fin offered. "She was a flight attendant. Maybe whoever did it followed her onto the plane, killed her, hid her in the closet, then got off of the plane before..."

"No," Munch said, holding up a file. "I know you're all going to think I'm crazy, but it was him."

Cragen looked directly at Elliot. "You weren't supposed to tell him!" he yelled.

"Hey!" Munch yelled before Elliot could answer, "No one told me. Cap, did you really think the identity of the girl on the plane would stay a secret in this goddamned precinct?"

Cragen sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose. "Munch, twelve years..."

"We couldn't convict him," Munch interrupted, sounding sad. "And we didn't have enough to hold him. What if she recognized him? What if that's why he..."

"What was his name?" Olivia asked, holding up the stapled list of passenger names.

Munch sighed, thinking. "Ben Garrison," he said.

Olivia looked through the packet. "That sounds familiar...he was on this plane."

"Liv," Elliot said, raising an eyebrow. "He was the pilot." He stood up, as did Olivia, but Cragen stopped them.

"No," the captain said. "Let Munch and Fin go. Munch needs the closure, and I need to talk to you. Both of you."

Elliot and Olivia looked at each other and slowly took their seats. "Should we be worried," Olivia asked, holding her stomach and glancing at Cragen.

"I don't know," Cragen said. "I don't really know how to tell you this, but Alex was screwing with your cases. She falsified evidence, bribed jurors, lost warrants, shredded statements, and she purposefully neglected to give Elliot her reports for him to sign when the 'fives were being filed."

"If she wasn't dead, I'd kill her," Elliot said, shocked, a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach. "So what does this mean? How much trouble are we in?"

Cragen folded his arms. "I went to see the chif, to plead you rcase. He has all the evidence, and I know you had nothing to do with it, but...it's out of my hands now." He was about to open his mouth again when Tucker walked in. "We're about to find out, I guess," Cragen finally said.

"You two," Tucker said. "Just the pair I was looking for." He handed them both manilla envelopes and smirked. "Hope you enjoy reading that as much as I enjoyed writing it, Stabler."

Elliot shot him a look and then tore into his envelope. "What?" he asked, confused. "You enjoyed writing this? Why?"

"It's not every day I get to prove myself right," Tucker said, smugly. "You did, in fact, fuck up. It just...wasn't your fault." He looked at Olivia and said, "I heard about Alex, and for what it's worth, I'm sorry." He nodded at them, looked at Cragen, then left.

"What, uh, what's in the letters?" Cragen asked.

"Chief says that evidence suggests I had no knowledge of Alex's actions, the cases were handled to the best of my ability and the paperwork was mishandled and filed by the attorney, not me. I'm okay," Elliot explained, holding up the paper. He looked at Olivia and noticed she was still reading, and a tear was rolling down her cheek. "Liv, what's the matter? What's it say?" he asked, worried, practically leaping over to her.

Olivia shook her head and folded the letter back up. "The same thing," she said. "I'm not...it's not about the letter. It's Alex! She was...God, she was trying to get rid of you the whole time! We weren't even together, El, and she...she could have gotten you fired. She could have destroyed your entire life!" She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Why the hell am I crying?"

"You're pregnant," Elliot chuckled. He kissed her forehead and wiped away the tears with his thumbs. "And you love me, you're pissed off at someone you can't yell at, and you didn't get the closure you need with her. You never will. You have every right to cry, Liv."

Cragen eyes them for a moment, wondering briefly if he should remind them not to act like a couple while at work, but Olivia needed the comfort. "You two," he sighed, "Go home. Relax. You had a rough day."

"Understatement, Cap," Elliot said, helping Olivia to her feet. "Absolute understatement."

* * *

"Maur?" Elliot called into their townhouse, eyeing the half-packed boxes. "Maury, honey?"

Maureen ran out of her room, down the stairs, and leaped into her father's arms. "Daddy!" she squealed. "I missed you and Mom, so much!" She dropped out of Elliot's arms and wrapped herself around Olivia.

Kathy walked out of the kitchen, smiling. "Did you guys have fun?" she asked.

"It was incredible," Olivia said. "Thanks for staying here with her," she said. "And helping with the packing."

"My pleasure," Kathy said. "Oh, I can't wait till you see the nurse..." she paused, seeing the violent head shake and wide-eyed look she was getting from Elliot. "The nurse at Maureen's school. She's very nice."

Olivia looked at her funny. "Okay," she said. "Great, Kathy. Well, uh, we're home, so you can go enjoy the rest of your evening."

"Thanks again," Elliot said. "For everything."

Kathy gave them each a hug before she left, then Olivia and Elliot plopped onto the couch with Maureen cuddled between them. Elliot picked up the phone and ordered Chinese food, popped in a movie, and spent some much needed time alone with his wife and daughter.

After a very relaxing dinner with Maureen, and a few hours of catching up with her, the teen went to bed, and Elliot smirked at Olivia.

"What?" Olivia asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Our daughter is asleep," Elliot said, inching closer to Olivia. "This is one of the last nights we're spending in this place," he whispered, kissing her neck. "And I know that you have been dying to get me alone, all damn day." He kissed her chin, her cheeks, then finally her lips.

"You aren't cocky at all. I don't know where people get that idea," Olivia spouted sarcastically between sweet kisses.

Elliot laughed as their hands ran over each other's body, as they kissed deeper. "I'm not quite ready for the honeymoon to be over, baby," he mumbled.

Olivia hummed in agreement, working her hands into his pants, one hand undoing his belt as the other slipped down into the fabric.

"Maybe we should get off the couch," Elliot suggested through his half-closed mouth as he kissed her and moaned at the feel of her hand grasping him, as he weaseled his own hands into her pants.

"No," Olivia said. "Here, now." She pushed forward, forcing Elliot down flat on the couch. Their hands moved faster, sliding out of pants and ripping off clothes, pulling off layers of cotton and grasping at flesh with greedy fingers. Their moans were soft, their breathing was heavy, and they were covered in a light sheen of sweat in no time. Elliot, with one hand, reached up over the couch and grabbed the crocheted blanket, pulling it over them, just in case they fell asleep and Maureen needed a drink or the bathroom.

As soon as they were covered, Elliot held Olivia still, and pressed her against him, moving his hips, sliding into her, meeting resistance but pushing through it, feeling a rush of intense pleasure. "Liv," he groaned, his head buried in her neck, kissing and biting.

"Yes, El," Olivia breathed, her hormones raging, causing this to be even more incredible than it would have been otherwise. Her body was hyper sensitive, her need for him was outstanding, her love for him was intensified by the knowledge that his child was safely cocooned in her womb, and she kissed him, trying to express all of that at once, hoping she could.

Elliot, hitting into her, in a hard, slow, rhythm, kept kissing her, indeed feeling everything she was, returning each emotion eagerly. With one arm still wrapped around her waist, holding her down as he moved in and out of her, he ran his other hand lovingly and languidly through her hair. The tried to stay quiet, whimpering and groaning softly, continuously kissing as they moved together.

Olivia felt herself building up, clenching around him. She clutched the sides of his head, trying to deepen the kiss to muffle what she knew would be a loud moan, and Elliot was grateful, since his grunting cry was going to be quite loud as well.

They came, together, muffling each other and Olivia shook violently in Elliot's arms. As they calmed down, their heartbeats slowing and their breathing regulating, Elliot slid his hand out of her down there body, linking his left hand with hers. They both were drawn to the gold and diamond bands, glinting in the lamplight as they remained still, Elliot inside of her. As they stared at the bands of gold adorning their fingers, everything they'd faced faded into the distance, into the past, and the excitement of what they had yet to face took over. Nothing had ever felt so right for either of them.

A phone call in the middle of the night, though, would change things, bringing the past back, threatening their future.

**A/N: Who calls? For what? How does it affect them? Does Munch get the pilot? Where did Jo go? More backward surprises coming at ya, and the new house! Do you want it? Review here? Or on Twitter? Follow TMG212? Yes? Have I asked enough questions?**


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Who calls? For what? How does it affect them? Does Munch get the pilot? Where did Jo go? And the first night in the new house, brings the story full circle.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters belong to Dick Wolf. Story, dialogue, narrative and plot belong to TStabler©**

Elliot and Olivia were sitting in the conference room, hands entwined. The phone had woken them up in the middle of the night, and the caller sounded panicked, distraught. They flew down to the station after calling Kathy back to stay with Maureen, and were anxiously waiting for Munch and Cragen to joint them. Elliot, who had answered his cell phone, refused to tell Olivia what was wrong. He said she had to hear it from Cragen.

Finally, the door opened, and Cragen and Munch stepped through. They both looked sadly at Olivia, and Cragen slid a file over to her. "Munch got our pilot," he said.

"Okay," Elliot siad, furrowing his brow. "Why is this something that merited waking up a pregnant woman in the middle of the night?"

"I, uh, ran him through the system, to see if he was a match to the DNA left on the girl," Munch said. "Something else came up, Benson."

"Stabler," Elliot corrected with a bit of an attitude. "If she's not working, it's Stabler." His possessiveness was starting to shine through, echoing off the walls as he gritted out that declaration.

Olivia sighed and shot him a subtle, loving look, then picked up the file. "One of our open cases?" she asked. She opened it, wondering what this had to do with her.

"Sort of," Cragen said, nodding.

"Holy shit," Olivia gasped. "This...this can't be right," she spat, closing the file.

Cragen cleared his throat. "Olivia, we didn't have the same technology back then that we do now, and the case has been cold for years. His DNA hit on yours, not your mother's, and when the computer..."

"I know how the computer works, Captain," Olivia said more harshly than necessary. "I just...he's been out there, all this time, still raping..."

"Yeah," Munch interrupted. "And I should have had his ass twelve years ago." He looked Olivia in the eyes and said, "I'm so sorry."

Olivia stopped breathing, her worst fear had been realized, and she ran a hand over her stomach. "It's not your fault, Munch," she whispered. "He's...really a..." she paused, swallowed hard and closed her eyes, then got out of her seat. "Excuse me," she said. She walked out of the room, out of the squadroom, and up to the roof. She walked over to the ledge, trying to catch her breath. She knew he was behind her before he said anything. "Don't, El," she panted, her hand over her chest. "Really, it's better if you just stay away from me right now."

"Well, that's not gonna happen," Elliot said, stepping toward her. "Calm down, honey," he whispered, reaching for her shoulders.

As soon as his hands were on her body, she flinched and pulled away. "Stop," she choked out, tears threatening to fall. "El, please," she said, holding up a hand. "How can you...God, I had thought that maybe he wasn't really a monster, maybe my mother was just too drunk to remember going home with him. But now I know, and you know, and we know what I am, what this..."

"You," Elliot interrupted, "Are amazing. Your upbringing, shitty as it was, made you who you are, and your background doesn't mean shit, Liv."

"You know I have a temper. Dammit, you know I'm capable of killing someone, Elliot," Olivia said, with a disheartened chuckle. "How can you want someone like me raising your children?"

Elliot tilted his head. "You mean someone who is so selfless it's a sin? Someone who never thinks of herself, at all, and who is so loving and giving and passionate...Liv, how can you honestly stand there and think you're like him? Or like your mother?" He grabbed her shoulders again, ignoring her silent protests, and he began to rub hard. "How can you, who's life's work it is to put the people like him behind bars, ever think that you are anything like him? And you don't drink often. Baby, when you do you get girly, and giggly, and horny as shit, but never violent."

Olivia dropped her head, both in sorrow and because his massage felt so damned good. "You're nothing like your father, either," she said. "But you wake up in the middle of the night panicking, because you think you might be one day. This is the same thing."

"No, baby, this is you being pregnant and stressed out," Elliot said, rubbing even harder. "They told you he was your father to give you closer, so you could stop looking and stop worrying," he said. "They didn't want to give you a reason to doubt yourself. You are so strong, Liv, and so confident. And you are going to love this baby unconditionally, just like I am, because we are both better than our fucking parents."

Olivia laughed, and moaned, then said, "So you're saying I'm panicking for nothing."

"That is exactly what I'm saying," Elliot said. "You tell me the same thing when I freak out about how my parents could effect me, so take your own advice."

Olivia turned around, sighing, and wrapped her arms around him. "You meant it when you said you weren't gonna let me run away from any of this, didn't you?"

"With all my heart," Elliot said, kissing her sweetly. He did mean it. No matter how hard she tried to run, he would always catch her before she got too far.

Elliot finally got Olivia back down into the squadroom, and they walked toward the conference room just in time to hear the voice of Jo Marlowe. "You couldn't just leave well enough alone, could you?" she was heard asking.

"She had a right to know!" Munch yelled. "She's like family, Jo! I wasn't gonna let..."

"Now everyone is gonna know that the man on the stand is the man who raped Detective Benson's mother," Jo yelled, interrupting. "They're all going to look at him, already thinking he's guilty, already wanting his ass in a cage!"

Cragen scoffed. "That's a good thing!" he barked.

"No," Jo said, bitterly. "The entire courtroom wanting revenge for Princess Benson is not a good thing, because it means your detectives will slack off, thinking their case is already won, and..."

"Jo!" Elliot's voice boomed. "What the fuck?"

"Elliot!" Jo said, turning toward him. "What are you doing here?"

Elliot smirked. "My wife is involved with this case," he said. "Her colleagues, her real family, love her enough to want the son of a bitch put behind bars," he said, "And you have the nerve to think we're all just gonna sit on our asses on this one?" He stepped forward, glaring at her. "We're all gonna work harder on this, to make sure he gets thorwn in jail, and that he satys there! She's a police officer, Jo. A damn good one. There is a reason they're called 'brothers in blue,' because they're fucking there for each other. You remember what that's like?"

"Yeah," Jo spat. "I remember exactly what it was like, having a partner and a captain, and three fellow detectives who would help me if I needed it." She scoffed and smirked back at him. "But I don't remember anyone being willing to kill for me, die for me, or keep me safe the way you people all seem to do for her!"

Elliot clenched and unclenched his fist, trying hard to not hit the woman in front of him. "Maybe it's because we all knew you weren't one of us," he said. "We all knew you'd leave, that this job wasn't your life. Liv...she is nothing like you," he declared.

"Is that why you fucked her and not me?" Jo asked bitterly, her arms folding over her chest.

The room went silent.

Elliot raised an eyebrow.

Olivia's hand shot to her mouth and she mumbled a quick, "I'm gonna be sick," as she ran from the room.

Elliot turned to her, almost running after her, but shot his head back to Jo. "You really wanna know why I always rejected you? Because of this, right here. You are so damned selfish, and bitter, and you don't think before you speak. I didn't fall in love with you the minute I saw you the way I did with Liv, and I thank God every day for that, because what I've got...with my wife...means everything to me, and you...you've always been nothing but a partner. A really bad partner." He didn't even wait for a response before he ran after Olivia, preparing to hold her hair back as she threw up, a combination of nerves and morning sickness.

* * *

It was almost four in the morning when Elliot drove them home, to the new house. "You know, it seems so silly to move again," Olivia said. But then she saw the house, and she gasped. "Elliot!" she choked.

"Liv, I couldn't pass this up," Elliot said. "This is the house of your dreams. I know I have a habit of buying houses without telling you, but baby, this is the house we were meant to have." He parked in the driveway, got out, and ran around to her door. "The townhouse, thank God, was sold back to the original owner. We just couldn't afford it." He pulled her up to the front door and unlocked it, pushing it open. "This is where we need to raise our children, where Maureen should finish growing up, where we will live, happily ever after. This house."

Olivia looked around, walking toward the stairs, and she smiled, letting out a small laugh. "This is the last one, right? No more buying houses without me?"

"Baby," Elliot said, "Come with me." He took her up the stairs, opened a door on the left, and turned on the light. "We're here to stay," he said.

Olivia gasped, looking into the nursery that seemed so perfect. Pastel yellow walls with pale green trim, pastel blues, purples, and pinks in various places, all with white, wooden furniture. "Oh, El," she whispered, clutching his arm. "It's amazing."

"I couldn't do this in the old place," Elliot said. "It wasn't right. Honey, it was too big, too urban. This...this is a home."

"El," Olivia said, tears in her eyes, one hand over her bump, "Anywhere you are, with me, that's home."

"Ditto, Livvy," Elliot whispered, using his special name for her, one he hadn't uttered in a while. "Kathy's gonna get everything into a truck today, and Maureen's gonna pack all of the last minute things. We're moving in, baby."

Olivia turned to him, smiling brightly. "This is it, then," she said. "Married, with children and a real house. I have had the only question I needed an answer to finally answered, and Kathy's being so great about this. Are we really, finally moving forward? Not backward?"

"Baby," Elliot said, holding up his left hand, "We started moving forward the day I took the first band of gold off of my finger." He kissed her, slowly and sweetly. "We just had a really backwards way of moving forward." He laughed as he pulled her in for another kiss. He tugged her backward down the hall, struggled to open another door, and brought her toward a new canopy bed. He laid her down gently and pulled off his tie. "Welcome home," he said with a smirk.

"Thanks, baby," Olivia laughed, helping him take off his shirt. As they kissed and undressed each other, they knew that things had fallen into place, and this was the first day of the rest of their lives. Everything had finally come full circle, they in a perfect house, in a perfect place in their lives. And to think, the only thing they had to thank was a tiny band of gold.

**A/N: Thank you so much for reading, and sticking with it! Alas, this story needs to end so another can begin! Hope you've all enjoyed the ride. **


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